Justice Alito Urges Congress to Protect Nations Military Honors System

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Americas system of military honors is vulnerable to fraud, says Justice Samuel Alito.

Justice Samuel Alito, who was honored at the 2014 Congressional Medal of Honor Society Awards gala in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, spoke with regret about the legal fallout from a recent First Amendment case over the right to lie about being a war hero.

I fervently wish that we find a way, that Congress will find a way to protect the integrity of our countrys system of military honors, Justice Alito said, making a comparison to laws cracking down on counterfeit luxury goods. If there is no First Amendment right to buy a fake Rolex, why should there be a First Amendment right to wear a fake Medal of Honor? he said at the ceremony.

Justice Alito was one of three dissenting votes in a 2012 Supreme Court free-speech ruling striking down a law that made it a federal crime to falsely claim to have been awarded military medals.

The high-court declared unconstitutional the Stolen Valor Act, a 2006 statute Congress passed to protect the reputation and meaning of military honors.

Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said: Permitting the government to decree this speech to be a criminal offense, whether shouted from the rooftops or made in a barely audible whisper, would endorse government authority to compile a list of subjects about which false statements are punishable.

In response, Congress last year passed a new Stolen Valor Act, which makes it a crime to knowingly profit from lying about receiving military medals and decorations.

Justice Alito, in his weekend remarks, said he couldnt comment specifically on the new statute.

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Justice Alito Urges Congress to Protect Nations Military Honors System

Comcast calls rumor that it disconnects Tor users wildly inaccurate

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Tor Project

Comcast has lately found itself issuing public apologies on a somewhat regular basisas subscribers share tales of horrible customer service.

But the latest accusation leveled against Comcastthat it is threatening to disconnectcustomers who use the anonymity-providing Tor browserhasn't been backed by convincing evidence that it's happening. And Comcast dismisses the rumor as wildly inaccurate.

It began Saturday with a site called DeepDotWeb claiming that Comcast has declared war on Tor Browser.

Reports have surfaced (Via /r/darknetmarkets and another one submitted to us) that Comcast agents have contacted customers using Tor and instructed them to stop using the browser or risk termination of service, the article said. A Comcast agent named Jeremy allegedly called Tor an illegal service. The Comcast agent told its customer that such activity is against usage policies. The Comcast agent then repeatedly asked the customer to tell him what sites he was accessing on the Tor browser. The customer refused to answer. The next day the customer called Comcast and spoke to another agent named Kelly who reiterated that Comcast does not want its customers using Tor.

Kelly allegedly told the customer that Users who try to use anonymity, or cover themselves up on the Internet, are usually doing things that arent so-to-speak legal. We have the right to terminate, fine, or suspend your account at anytime due to you violating the rules.

There was good reason to be skeptical of this report. A search of the subreddit /r/darknetmarketsfor Comcast and Tor turned up nothing. (UPDATE: Here is the reddit post quoted by DeepDotWeb.) Any organized Comcast campaign againstusers of Tor wouldlikely inspire numerouscustomer complaints, not just a few, as noted by Cato Institute Research Fellow Julian Sanchez and security researcher Robert Graham, who wrote on Twitter:

"This story is wildly inaccurate," Comcast spokesperson Charlie Douglas told Ars. "Customers are free to use their Xfinity Internet service to visit any website or use it however they wish otherwise."

While Comcast publishes an acceptable use policy, the company "doesnt monitor users browser software or Web surfing and has no program addressing the Tor browser," Douglas said.

In some previous cases where customers have documented poor customer service, Comcast has admitted fault and said its customer service agents acted in error. In this case, Comcast says it investigated the story and found no evidence that the encounters everhappened.

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Comcast calls rumor that it disconnects Tor users wildly inaccurate

Comcast Denies It Will Cut Off Customers Who Use Tor, The Web Browser For Criminals (CMCSA)

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Comcast completely denies their claims. In a blog post, the company said "We have no policy against Tor, or any other browser or software. Customers are free to use their Xfinity Internet service to visit any website, use any app, and so forth."

According to a report on Deepdotweb, Comcast customer representatives have branded Tor "illegal" and told customers that using it is against the company's policies.

Tor is a type of web browser that, in theory, makes all your internet activity private. The software routes traffic through a series of other connected internet users, making it difficult for governments and private companies to monitor your internet usage. Up to 1.2 million people use the browser, which became especially popular after Edward Snowden leaked information showing that the NSA was eavesdropping on ordinary citizens. Prior to that, Tor had been popular among people transacting business on Silk Road, the online market for drugs and hitmen.

The problem is that downloading or using Tor itself isn't illegal. Plenty of people might have legitimate reasons to want to surf the web in private, without letting others know what they were looking at. But Tor has been pretty popular with criminals.

Some Comcast reps allegedly begun telling users that it is an "illegal service." One Comcast representative, identified only as Kelly, warned a customer over his use of Tor software, DeepDotWeb reports:

Users who try to use anonymity, or cover themselves up on the internet, are usually doing things that arent so-to-speak legal. We have the right to terminate, fine, or suspend your account at anytime due to you violating the rules. Do you have any other questions? Thank you for contacting Comcast, have a great day.

Comcast customers, speaking to Deepdotweb, claimed that Comcast repeatedly asked them which sites they were accessing using Tor.

In a statement to Business Insider, Comcast refuted the claims made in Deepdotweb, stating that they had launched an internal review into the discussions reported above:

Customers are free to use their Xfinity Internet service to visit any website or use it however they wish otherwise.Like virtually all ISPs, Comcast has an acceptable use policy or AUP that outlines appropriate and inappropriate uses of the service.Comcast doesnt monitor users browser software or web surfing and has no program addressing the Tor browser.he anecdotal chat room evidence provided is not consistent with our agents messages and is not accurate. Per our own internal review, we have found no evidence that these conversations took place, nor do we employ a Security Assurance team member named Kelly.Tors own FAQs clearly state: 'File sharing (peer-to-peer/P2P) is widely unwanted on Tor' and 'BitTorrent is NOT anonymous' on Tor.

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Comcast Denies It Will Cut Off Customers Who Use Tor, The Web Browser For Criminals (CMCSA)

VanosEnigmA 011 Bitcoin-Comedy BitcoinDog CryptoCurrency-Cat Naughty – Video

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VanosEnigmA 011 Bitcoin-Comedy BitcoinDog CryptoCurrency-Cat Naughty
http://www.twitter.com/NaughtyCatzilla +@SoulTradeGame #FollowBack 😉 http://www.twitter.com/VanosEnigmA http://www.facebook.com/VanosEnigmA http://www.youtube.com/user/EnigmaislandVano...

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BITNEWS ON THE GO! Bitcoin is trending on Reddit! Why? The Daily Show Tweet, 711 in Mexico & PayPal – Video

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BITNEWS ON THE GO! Bitcoin is trending on Reddit! Why? The Daily Show Tweet, 711 in Mexico PayPal
BITNEWS ON THE GO! Bitcoin is trending on Reddit! Why? The Daily Show #39;s John Stewart Tweeted About Bitcoin, All 7 Elevens in Mexico Announced They Accept Bitcoin Today PayPal #39;s People Economy...

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TDV: Jeff Berwick on the Crypto Show on The Savior of Humanity: Bitcoin – Video

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TDV: Jeff Berwick on the Crypto Show on The Savior of Humanity: Bitcoin
Topics include: Bitcoin, economic collapse, gold and silver, dollar collapse, Bitcoin as a speculation, Bitcoin undermining banks, getting assets outside the dollar system, madness of the federal...

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TDV: Jeff Berwick on the Crypto Show on The Savior of Humanity: Bitcoin - Video

Out of the Spotlight, Bitcoin Gains Legitimacy

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Mainstream perception of bitcoin, much like the crypto-currency itself, has been volatile. Starting last fall and gaining steam throughout the winter, bitcoin became one of themost buzzed about topics on the internet. It was a recurring subject on sites like Business Insider and TechCrunch. Mainstream media got in on the action as well Newsweek relaunched their entire publication in March with alarge, feature story on the search for bitcoins mysterious founder.

Then, as quickly as it had risen, the currency seemed to drop out of the public consciousness. During its time out of the spotlight, however, bitcoin has made significant progress towards mainstream acceptance, and may be poised for a second breakthrough.

You can see the rise and fall in public interest of Bitcoin below, as shown by Google search volume for the term over the last year:

Although search volume is higher year-over-year, its nowhere near the peak of November and December 2013, where it averaged over five million searches a month. This is likely due to a drop-off in general interest, and perhaps the loss of the novelty factor the crypto-currency once commanded.

Bitcoin transaction volume has followed a similar path. Heres the average volume over the past 12 months, according to Blockchain.info:

During November and December, transaction volume regularly surpassed 300,000 bitcoins, and spiked over the 900,000 mark in March. Since April however, volume has remained relatively flat, settling at around 100,000.

This drop in public awareness and transaction volume though, doesnt mean that Bitcoin is declining as a viable financial asset, or even alternative currency. In fact, Bitcoin is closer to achieving widespread acceptance than ever before.

One of the main barriers to entry with bitcoin has been the lack of acceptance among merchants. For interested consumers, theres not much point in purchasing an asset that no one recognizes. Thanks to the efforts of bitcoin-wallet companyCoinbase however, this is changing.

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Out of the Spotlight, Bitcoin Gains Legitimacy

United Way to begin accepting donations in Bitcoin

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United Way Worldwide announced Monday that it will begin taking donations in Bitcoin, the digital currency.

Bitcoin users can now use the currency for donations to the United Way's Innovation Fund, a part of the United Way dedicated to updating the organization through "technology, relationships and efficiency." Coinbase, one of the leading Bitcoin payment platforms, is partnering with the charity to let those interested donate directly from their digital Bitcoin wallets to the fund. According to a page on the United Way's Web site, anyone from around the world can donate to the fund using Bitcoin.

Bitcoin is making steady progress in gaining more mainstream acceptance, with companies rangingfrom Home Depot and Target to local food trucks jumping on board.eBay's PayPal announcedlast week that it will soon be offering developers of its Braintree payment platform the option to accept Bitcoin as a method of payment, also through a partnership with Coinbase. But major charities such as the Red Cross, UNICEF and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have been slower to jump on the bandwagon, though many Bitcoin users have run their own campaigns to take donations for these organizations and convert them into more traditional currencies.

Brian A. Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide, said in a statement that accepting Bitcoinsimply makes it easier to support the 127-year-oldorganization."Achieving United Ways vision for the world where all individuals and families achieve their human potential requires innovation powered by new technology and outreach methods," he said. "In that spirit, integrating Bitcoin donations with the United Way Worldwide Innovation Fund helps us achieve this crucial goal."

Hayley Tsukayama covers consumer technology for The Washington Post.

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United Way to begin accepting donations in Bitcoin

Bitcoin community gets further support with London office

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Bitcoin prides itself as a decentralized digital currency, meaning that no single entity controls it. Instead, a community of developers, miners and enthusiasts work in tandemto ensure everything runs smoothly.

But now,a Bitcoin-loving husband and wife aim to take this collaborative community to a whole new level bysettingup a workplace that houses Bitcoin companies. Co-founded by Pamir Gelenbe and wife Gulnar Hasnain, T15B is located near Londons techhub, the Silicon roundabout. Its situated at the corner of Bold Rockets office, a registered trademark of the Capital Markets Company (UK) Ltd, a company that helps technology companies make a difference in todays world.

T15B currently houses companies such as Bitcoin trading platform btc.sx, gold to Bitcoin exchange market Bullion Bitcoin Limited, point-of-sale Bitcoin processing solutions XBTerminal and four other Bitcoin companies.

Though T15B aims to house more Bitcoin companies, its also very strict and does not allow just anybody to join the community.

We dont want to compromise on quality. We have a selection committee and review applications on a rolling basis. We are looking for serious entrepreneurs and individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to the virtual currency space, Gelenbe explains.

So far, those who have been fortunate enough to pass the screening are quite pleased with what T15B offers, as working with like-minded people in the same industryis both inspiring and motivating.

Being surrounded by people working to disrupt the world of finance, through bitcoin, is incredibly motivating, Joe Lee, founder and CEO of BTC.sx, said.

This initiative by Gelenbe and his wife are seen as a step to further put London in the prime spot for cryptocurrency innovation.

We have several of the best bitcoin startups based here now, the Bank of England and government seem to be changing policies to support the growth. We are in a very strong position to succeed, Aleks Nowak, co-founder of XBTerminal, added.

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Bitcoin community gets further support with London office

TeraExchange to Launch Bitcoin Swap Trading on Regulated SEF Platform

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Citing demand for an efficient hedging tool, TeraExchange has developed a Bitcoin swap product and a Bitcoin price index, to launch the first regulated Bitcoin derivatives platform.

While regulation has been lacking in the virtual currency world, TeraExchange, a registered SEF, said its launching the first regulated platform for Bitcoin derivatives along with a spot Bitcoin price index.

As a swap execution facility, registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, TeraExchange is structuring theBitcoin swap marketplace to be regulated under CFTC rules.

This is the first regulated exchange, that has a regulated product and a regulated index in Bitcoins history, said Christian Martin, CEO of TeraExchange, in an interview today.

In an announcement on Friday, TeraExchange said theBitcoin derivative and the Tera Bitcoin price index were created to meet the growing demand of global merchants, payment processors, miners, and hedge funds for an efficient hedging tool. Institutional market makers have already offered to provide continuous markets over a range of tenors going out one to two years, said Martin.

In March of 2014 TeraExchange announced that an affiliate of the firm had created the first unregulated USD/Bitcoin Swap, which sparked a considerable increase in demand for regulatedBitcoin derivatives trading and hedging, the company said on Friday.

The process of creating a Bitcoin derivativeTeraExchange began the process of working with the CFTC in February this year.

As an approved SEF, TeraExchange was able to self-certify the product and list it on its SEF. The CFTC approves that certification process. To be clear, the CFTC does not approve the product, explains Martin. We spent 8 or 9 months making sure the CFTC was comfortable with our product.

At the end of the day, it was no different than listing an interest-rate swap contract. We were sensitive to the newness of Bitcoin, and with the newness comes diligence and time.

Bitcoin price index as global benchmarkIn addition, TeraExchange developed theBitcoin price index, which is part of its commercial offering. The index was an important tool for us to develop because the index takes into account global data points, global underlying exchange input, and smoothes it all out so that any one input isnt any more important than others, says Martin. In that regard, our index is not susceptible to manipulations, which is one of the gating factors of the CFTC.

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TeraExchange to Launch Bitcoin Swap Trading on Regulated SEF Platform

9/11 2014 Smithfield-Selma 0 @ Clayton Comets 45 Junior Varsity Football game – Video

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9/11 2014 Smithfield-Selma 0 @ Clayton Comets 45 Junior Varsity Football game
A great effort on both sides of the ball as the offense defense post their first shutout! Landen has six completions for 130 yards passing one blistering...

By: Landen Leiser Clayton, NC

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9/11 2014 Smithfield-Selma 0 @ Clayton Comets 45 Junior Varsity Football game - Video

Little Comets – Hope is Just a State of Mind (Pledge Album Pre-order) – Video

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Little Comets - Hope is Just a State of Mind (Pledge Album Pre-order)
HOPE IS JUST A STATE OF MIND is our nearly-finished, self-produced third album that is NOW available for pre-order. To do so just click here: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/littlecomets.

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Win and a draw see Workington Comets into play-offs

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Last updated at 10:36, Monday, 15 September 2014

COMETS 50 (45) SHEFFIELD 43 (45): Workington Comets sneaked into the final Premier League play-off place after an exciting double-header against Sheffield Tigers on Saturday night.

In a line: Comets Josh Grajczonek, red, and Ricky Wells during Saturday's second match ahead of the Sheffields Taylor Poole, yellow, and Leigh Lanham

A 50-43 victory in the first match of the evening at Derwent Park secured Comets three league points which proved enough to lift the west Cumbrians into the sixth and final play-off position.

Workington picked up just the one league point from the second match after Sheffield battled to earn a 45-45 draw.

But Newcastles 48-41 loss away at Edinburgh Monarchs on Saturday meant that Comets leapfrogged the North East club into sixth.

Comets pursuit of a play-off spot got off to a bad start in the opening heat of the first match after Simon Stead cruised to a win ahead of Josh Grajczonek. Tigers rider Taylor Poole finished ahead of Ricky Wells for a 4-2 start to Sheffield.

But Workington responded with a 4-2 of their own in heat four courtesy of a great ride from Kyle Howarth, with team-mate Simon Lambert holding onto third sport to even the scores up at 12-12.

Comets got the lead they were craving in the following heat after Mason Campton and Rene Bach surged out of the gate for a 5-1 and a 17-13 lead.

Then Comets were on the right end of the race of the night in heat seven. Howarth was in the lead from the gate and was pursued by Leigh Lanham and Poole. But Howarths team-mate Joe Jacobs made a move on the final bend of the last lap to sneak into second place and get the fans leaping from their seats.

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Win and a draw see Workington Comets into play-offs