Whistleblower William Binney on NSA Spying
William Edward Binney is a former highly placed intelligence official with the United States National Security Agency (NSA) turned whistleblower who resigned on October 31, 2001, after more...
By: Non Mirage Truth Vision
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How do you get Americans to care about government surveillance? Dick pics, according to John Oliver.
How do you make Americans care about government surveillance? Naked photos, according to Last Week Tonight host John Oliver.
Oliver traveled to Russia recently to sit down with former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, and explained that most Americans don't seem to care about secret National Security Agency (NSA) programs that snatch up huge amounts of your data without your knowledge.
As Snowden explains why mass surveillance is a critical issue, Oliver interjects. "This is the whole problem. I glaze over because it's like the IT guy comes into your office and you go, 'oh s**t ... don't teach me anything, I don't want to learn, you smell like canned soup,'" he quipped.
What to do? Explain it in terms that people understand: Dick pics.
Oliver showed a clip of New Yorkers reacting to the possibility that the government had access to the naked photos they email or text to people. All of them were horrified. "This is the most visible line in the sand for people," Oliver says. "Can. they. see. my. dick."
So Oliver asked Snowden to explain each of the NSA's more controversial programs in the context or whether or not they allow the government to sift through your more private photos. Here's what he had to say:
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA): Yes. It allows the bulk collection of metadata that is one-end foreign. If you have Gmail, anytime that mail crosses outside the border of the U.S., your junk ends up in the database. Even if you send it to someone in the U.S., your domestic communication can go from New York to London and back, and get caught up in the database.
Executive Order 12333: This is what the NSA uses when the other authorities aren't aggressive enough or they're not catching what they want. When you send your junk through Gmail, that's stored on Google's servers. Google moves data from data center to data center, invisibly to you, so your data could be moved outside the borders of the U.S. temporarily. So when Google moves it, the NSA catches a copy of that.
PRISM: This is how they pull your junk out of Google with Google's involvement. The government deputizes tech companies to be their surveillance sheriffs.
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Apparently, the NSA's massive surveillance program wasn't a first: it was modeled after a precursor that ran from 1992 until 2013. According to USA Today, that program was called USTO, because it monitored almost every American's calls from the US to other countries. It was a joint initiative by the Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, which began as a way to keep tabs on Colombian drug cartels and their supply routes. Since then, it grew in scope (thanks in part to a powerful computer provided by the Pentagon) to cover all international calls made to around 116 countries worldwide, including Canada, Mexico, parts of Asia and Europe, and most of Central and Southern America. The group was only dissolved after Edward Snowden came public with the NSA's secrets in 2013.
USA Today says this is the US government's first known effort to gather intelligence on its citizens en masse. USTO didn't exactly listen or record phone calls, though -- instead, it asked carriers for phone call metadata, which contains numbers contacted, the time they were called and the duration of those conversations. Agents then used those to link data they got from other means, allowing them to piece together various information, such as drug distribution networks. The logs also didn't include names, but the team could easily link numbers to particular people by cross-referencing data.
These documents were transferred over a private network and came in like clockwork, that details were usually just a few days old when they reached the agents. USA Today's report didn't specify all the carriers involved, but mentioned that Sprint "expressed reservations" about participating in 1998 (the company was basically told it had no choice) and that AT&T was likely one of them, as well.
The DEA didn't allow anyone else, not even the FBI or the NSA to access its logs in the beginning. But over time, it gave other law enforcement agencies access to its database, especially after 9/11. Eventually, in an effort to keep this program hidden, the DEA's Special Operations Division started passing on intel to prosecutors and feds as "tips" that they could act on. When Reutersblew the lid off that practice in 2013, it gave this scenario as an example: A field agent would get a call from an informant, telling him to intercept a particular van at a certain time and location. However, that agent wouldn't be allowed to tell the court about the tip. Instead, he would have to reconstruct the case and find a way to arrive to the result without mentioning the DEA's participation.
After USTO was put to a stop post-Snowden revelation -- all records were reportedly purged -- DEA agents had to start getting call records via more difficult means. Now, they have to send carriers subpoenas daily to get those logs, and only for numbers already linked to drug trade or other crimes.
Reuters, USA Today
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Americans shouldn't curb their use of the Internet simply to avoid having intimate pictures or personal information intercepted by the NSA, according to Edward Snowden.
"You shouldn't change your behavior because a government agency somewhere is doing the wrong thing," the former surveillance contractor turned leaker told HBO's John Oliver. "If we sacrifice our values because we're afraid, we don't care about those values very much."
Snowden spoke to the "Last Week Tonight" host in Moscow, where he has been for more than a year since being charged with espionage after leaking classified information regarding the NSA's extensive surveillance programs.
Oliver asked Snowden to explain the implications of NSA surveillance on racy personal photos.
"The good news is there's no program named 'the d*** pic program'," Snowden said. "The bad news is they're still collecting everybody's information including your d*** pics.
He added: "When you send your junk through Gmail, for example, that is stored on Google's servers. Google moves that data from data center to data center invisibly to you. Without your knowledge, your data could be moved outside the borders of the United States temporarily. When your junk was passed by Gmail the NSA caught a copy of that."
The North Carolina-born Snowden also explained his decision to reveal classified information, saying he wanted to make Americans aware that government agencies were snooping on U.S. citizens.
"I worked with mass surveillance systems against Chinese hackers I saw that these things have some purpose," he told Oliver. "What you don't want is them spying inside your own country. Spies are great when they're on your own side. When they're off the leash they can end up coming after us.
"I did this to give the American people a chance to decide for themselves the kind of government they want to have. That is a conversation that I think the American people deserve to decide."
- Alastair Jamieson
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NSA Spy Cam Blocker. Credit: Store.RandPaul.com
"That little front facing camera on your laptop or tablet can be a window for the world to see you - whether you know it or not! Stop hackers and the NSA with this simple camera blocker. Safe and practical," the online store says of the product.
Several of the Paul products include visuals of the Constitutionincluding a T-shirt and an iPhone casewhich is a political theme for the son of libertarian icon and former Texas congressman Ron Paul.
"I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government," a quote attributed to Paul says on his sitewhich broke the news the senator would run ahead of his scheduled midday in-person announcement.
The store even offers a $1,000 Paul-autographed Constitution. "It's hard to find a greater defender of the U.S. Constitution in the Halls of Congress than Rand Paul," the item's description says.
But the merchandise goes beyond accessories: Paul's branded clothing is "fashion for a cause," his website says.
Read MoreWhy Rand Paul probably can't win GOP nom
"It's easy to be a fashion plate for the world's biggest brands. When you wear the Rand Brand, you look good and stand for something bigger than all of us ... liberty," the site boasts, adding "Thomas Jefferson would be proud."
Such fashion includes a T-shirt proclaiming "Don't Drone Me, Bro!"
Even the payment options take a decidedly contemporary twist for the Kentucky senator's campaign. In addition to credit card and PayPal choices, Paul's website allows supporters to donate in bitcoin (the cryptocurrency boasts a strong following among a subset of libertarians).
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2nd Amendment Keychain - RTBA
"Shall Not Be Infringed" - The wording is clear! The Right to Bear Arms is an INALIENABLE right that extends to ALL people and now, the Second Amendment is available on a dog tag keychain!...
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4.7.15 | Second Scoop: Justice in Jersey, Detroit #39;s Top Cop CCW, Clear Channel Controversy
The Second Scoop: Chris Cheng provides humor, insight, and commentary on the top gun stories you should know about. Come back every Tuesday for a delicious serving of Second Amendment news ...
By: Top Shot Chris Cheng
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4.7.15 | Second Scoop: Justice in Jersey, Detroit's Top Cop & CCW, Clear Channel Controversy - Video
Dr. Rand Paul on the Second Amendment
There are too many in Washington who give lip service to the Second Amendment, but vote to restrict gun ownership. I do not support any proposed gun control which would limit the right to gun...
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MEMPHIS, TN (localmemphis.com)--Tens of thousands of people will descend on Nashville this weekend for the National Rifle Association's annual convention.
For the NRA, the event is a celebration of second amendment rights and a chance to view new firearm models.
But a national anti-violence group says event organizers shouldn't be gushing about guns in Tennessee's capital, based on a new study.
Fowler not only teaches gun safety, he's also a proud and decades long member of the National Rifle Association.
"That Second Amendment has been an ongoing battle forever, and probably always will be because it's open to interpretation," said Fowler.
But those at the Violence Policy Center say a study on gun deaths is not open for interpretation.
"Facts don't matter to the NRA, but facts matter to the general public," said Violence Policy legislative director Kristen Rand.
The VPC's study used new data and found that in 2013, Tennessee and 16 other states had more gun deaths than motor vehicle deaths, even though the group says far more people statistically own a car compared to a gun.
Leaders here at Top Brass say gun safety is at the forefront of everything they do, and that promotion of responsible gun ownership will be front and center this weekend during the NRA's annual meeting and exhibits.
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imissmygirls.com
A message to my girls 7th April 2015.
By: First Amendment Publishing
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After a vigorous debate over the scope of the First Amendment and whether corporations should have the same rights as people, the Maryland Senate gave preliminary approval Tuesday to ajoint resolution calling for a national constitutional convention to deal with the issueof money in politics.
Senators moved the joint resolution toward a final vote after rejecting several Republican amendmentson votes that showed the measure likely has more than enough votes to pass. It would still have to get through the House by next Monday to go into effect.
According to the liberal group Progressive Maryland, Maryland would join four other Democratic-leaning states that have issued a call for the a convention to deal with such Supreme Court rulings as the Citizens United decision in which justices extended the same political contribution rights to corporations as held by individuals.
While the U.S. Constitution provides a mechanism for convening a convention, it requires two-thirds of the state legislatures to issue such a call for the same purpose. With the bar set that high, there has been no constitutional convention since 1787.
Proponents said such a resolutionis needed to pressureCongress to deal with the growing influence of money in politics before it stifles democracy. But opponents warned against calling a convention that could narrow the First Amendment and rewrite the Constitutionin ways that couldn't be predicted.
Fred Wertheimer, a veteran advocate of campaign finance reform, weighed in late Tuesday with a warning that Maryland lawmakers were heading in the wrong direction. Wertheimer, a former president of Common Cause who now heads the group Democracy 21, pointed to comments by Supreme Court justices that nothing could restrict what a convention might do once one was convened.
"The call of a convention would place all of the constitutional rights of individuals up for grabs: protections for civil rights, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, voting, privacy and many others," he said. "Also up for grabs would be the role of the courts in protecting the rights of individuals and minority interests."
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Senate gives preliminary OK to call for constitutional convention
Trust issues plague bitcoin and other digital currencies. Licensed exchanges could change that
The U.S. has approached cryptocurrency regulation cautiously, meanwhile 80 percent of all Bitcoin volume is exchanged into and out of Chinese yuan, according to a Goldman Sachs report. Image courtesy of Zach Copley, via Flickr
Digital cryptocurrenciesincluding bitcoin and litecoin, along with dozens of othershave struggled to win mainstream acceptance in the U.S. Interest in this so-called Internet money is not going away, however, which is why regulators are developing rules that that they hope can avert a repeat of last years Mt. Gox meltdown, when the worlds largest bitcoin exchange unexpectedly shut down after losing hundreds of thousands of bitcoins in a cyber attack. The U.S. government has largely sat on the sidelines, leaving states to regulate digital cryptocurrency exchanges. The exchanges, with names such as BitPay and Coinbase, are Web sites for buying, selling and exchanging digital currency. Bitcoin and its ilk are referred to as cryptocurrencies for their use of cryptography to secure transactions and mint new virtual coins. More than a dozen states and Puerto Rico already issue licenses for bitcoin exchanges, which represent the lions share of the worlds cryptocurrency transactions. California is working out the details of its own licensing guidelines while New York States Department of Financial Services plans to finalize its BitLicense regulatory framework in the coming weeks. Other countries are likewise grappling with the legal status of such currencies. The U.K., for example, recently announced it would police digital currencies by applying antimoney laundering rules to these exchanges. Regulations are good for cryptocurrency exchanges, says Campbell Harvey, a Duke University professor of finance. The rules will lend them a sense of legitimacy that should help reduce the volatility that has kept merchants and investors out of the action. The volatility comes from people seeing virtual currency as operating just outside the law, Harvey adds. Coinbase is licensed in 16 states and claims that eight other statesincluding California and New Yorkallow access to the exchange without the need for a license. Part of Coinbases success comes from allowing investors to change U.S. dollars into bitcoins and vice versa, an important feature because of bitcoins fluctuating value. A single bitcoin is currently worth about $250; a couple of years ago they were trading at more than $1,100 apiece. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, venture capitalist siblings best known for their legal battle with Mark Zuckerberg over the origin of Facebook, are awaiting New Yorks licensing regulations to their Gemini Bitcoin exchange in the state. Gemini will be a place to buy and sell bitcoins, akin to the way NASDAQ lets investors trade stocks, the Winklevosses said at last months South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, Texas. Bitcoin is a harbinger of the cashless society that will be here by 2025, they said, adding that they believe in the cryptocurrency so much that they currently own 1 percent of the worlds more than 14 million bitcoins. Bitcoin operates on a peer-to-peer network that consists of computers run by people known as miners. Their computers are set up specifically to verify the validity of a transaction and record it in a digital public ledger system called a blockchain. The first computer to solve a cryptographic puzzle accompanying each transaction wins bitcoins for its miner. Other computers in the network check the solution, creating a redundancy designed to guard against transaction fraud. Once a transaction is entered into the blockchain ledger, it cannot be deleted or changed. The idea behind the blockchain is to prevent fraudulent transactions. And the peer-to-peer nature of the Bitcoin network means there is no bank or clearinghouse to charge a large fee per transaction. Although Apple Pay, Paypal and other digital payment services are improvements over credit cards and other online options, they are not a breakaway technology on par with the Bitcoin Network, Cameron Winklevoss said at SXSW. Regardless of such endorsements, Bitcoin exchanges continue to be a risky proposition. Start-up exchange Buttercoin will shut down on April 10 after failing to raise sufficient funding. Even high-profile financial backing from the likes of investors Y Combinator, Google Ventures and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian was not enough to keep the lights on. Part of the problem is the nascent technologys history as a volatile investment as well as an enabler of anonymous cyber criminal activity, including the infamous Silk Road online market for illegal drugs. The U.S. has a lot of ground to make up if banks and businesses here want to cash in on cryptocurrency80 percent of all Bitcoin volume is exchanged into and out of Chinese yuan, according to a March 10 Goldman Sachs report. The report estimates that more than 100,000 merchants worldwideincluding Overstock.com, TigerDirect.com and Expediaaccept bitcoins as payment. A sign that these companies do not completely trust their finances to cryptocurrencies, however: many convert these payments into more stable currencies rather than hold them as bitcoins.
2015 Scientific American, a Division of Nature America, Inc.
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Cryptocurrency Exchanges Emerge as Regulators Try to Keep Up
Boston, MA (PRWEB) April 07, 2015
According to a new white paper published by New Hampshire-based e-commerce company Ziftr, merchants of all sizes can overcome common transaction problems by accepting cryptocurrency. These problems, which are often associated with credit card transactions, include:
Cryptocurrency is an emerging payment technology that benefits both consumers and merchants in many key ways, said Bob Wilkins, CEO of Ziftr. At Ziftr, were focused on bringing cryptocurrency into the mainstream with our cryptocurrency/credit card payment platform, ziftrPAY, and a suite of tools that integrate with ziftrPAY to provide the ideal shopping experience for consumers and increase profit margins for merchants.
Highlights from the Ziftr white paper:
To read the full Ziftr white paper, click here: http://bit.ly/Merchant-WP
Ziftr is currently onboarding ziftrPAY merchants, with the goal of reaching a critical mass in time for Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2015. Merchants that are interested in learning more about ziftrPAY can visit http://www.ziftrPAY.com for more information.
About Ziftr
Established in 2008 and based in Milford, New Hampshire, Ziftr is revolutionizing the online shopping experience by bringing cryptocurrency into the mainstream for both consumers and merchants. To accomplish this goal, Ziftr has developed the following tools and applications: ziftrCOIN, a digital coin that functions like a coupon; ziftrPAY, a one-stop cryptocurrency/credit card payment platform and customer loyalty program; ziftrWALLET, a multicoin digital wallet; and ziftrSHOP, a worldwide online marketplace where consumers will be able to conduct transactions using credit cards and cryptocurrency.
Ziftr is a product of myVBO, a full-service design, marketing and development company that helps businesses turn their ambitions into realities.
For more information about Ziftr, visit http://www.ziftr.com.
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Accepting Cryptocurrency Solves Common Transactions Problems for Merchants
BetOnline Sportsbook adds Bitcoin | SBR News
http://www.sportsbookreview.com/sbr-news/betonline-latest-sportsbook-add-bitcoin-55633/ - Sportsbook Review news host Natalie gives the latest information on BetOnline #39;s recent addition of...
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Bet Bitcoin at Fabulous Fred #39;s Streaming Online Casino
Hey guys have you played poker online before? Okay check this out. Poker is more fun with buddies, so join me at the tables in Fresh Deck Poker! Its totally Free to install and play, PLUS...
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Bitcoin w/James Bang and Simon DixonIONHK(Ep. 042) 2015-03-28 b
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Bitcoin w/James Bang and Simon DixonIONHK(Ep. 042) 2015-03-28 b - Video
Vericoin. Donation Bitcoin - Wikimedia.
(Our Videos are Best Viewed in 720p HD) Wikimedia is a global movement whose mission is to bring free educational content to the world. Wikipedia Now Accepts Bitcoin Donations. https://wikimedia...
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Community Diversification Makes Bitcoin Much More Interesting
Elizabeth Starks Networks With IamSatoshi http://www.iamsatoshi.com/bit-loft https://twitter.com/Iam_Satoshi https://www.facebook.com/I.am.Satoshi... Tip BTC: https://www.onename.io/iamsatoshi...
By: Satoshi Pollen
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Community Diversification Makes Bitcoin Much More Interesting - Video
Let #39;s Talk Bitcoin! #194 - John C. Barrett and Patrick Byrne
Original Published with Bitcoins Gravy.
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Let's Talk Bitcoin! #194 - John C. Barrett and Patrick Byrne - Video
The Bitcoin Foundation, formed in 2012 to promote the virtual currency, has rejected claims by a board member that its bankrupt but has acknowledged significant financial problemsironically as a result of a big drop in the value of its bitcoin holdings.
On Tuesday its board of directors rejected claims made a day earlier by board member Olivier Janssens that it was effectively bankrupt, but said the bitcoin roller coaster has forced it to drastically cut back its operations.
In early 2013 a bitcoin was valued at around $14 but that soared to $1,145 by November that same year, according to Coinbase. Three weeks later, it had collapsed to $569 and continued wide swings throughout much of 2014. Today, a bitcoin is worth about $258.
Those swings add up to bad news for the organization.
The drop in bitcoin price drastically affected the Foundations bottom line as the majority of assets were held in bitcoin, it said.
As a result, the foundation has cut programs to concentrate on one mission: development of the Bitcoin Core Protocol. Staff numbers have also been cut, although the foundation rejected Janssens claim that 90 percent had been fired.
Some team members left voluntarily and agreed to continue helping on a volunteer basis to help the Foundation during this financially austere time, it said.
The foundation hasnt revealed exactly how many bitcoins it holds, but a filing with the Internal Revenue Service said the holding was worth $4.5 million at the end of 2013. Based on figures from Coinbase, that was equivalent to just over 6,000 bitcoins. Today, those bitcoin would be worth $1.5 million.
The current state of the foundations finances should become clearer in the coming weeks when its latest IRS filing, covering 2014, becomes public.
And when it does, the board might face questions about why they didnt diversify the foundations assets to put it on a more stable base, instead choosing to keep them all in a volatile investment.
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