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08 Nov 18:15

Lawmakers Spurn Obama Bid to Save NSA Data Gathering Amid Uproar - Businessweek


The Star Online
Lawmakers Spurn Obama Bid to Save NSA Data Gathering Amid Uproar
Businessweek
The Obama administration is considering steps to quiet the uproar over U.S. spy programs, including curbs on foreign surveillance while allowing the bulk collection of Americans' phone records to continue. White House officials also are looking at separating ...
Snowden may have persuaded 20 to 25 NSA colleagues to give up their ...Ars Technica
Explained: Australia's involvement with the NSA, the US spy agency at heart of ...ABC Online
Exclusive: Snowden persuaded other NSA workers to give up passwords - sourcesKDAL

all 50 news articles »
08 Nov 18:13

Google Takes Its Tracking Into The Real World | Digiday

by gguillotte
Google is beta-testing a program that uses smartphone location data to determine when consumers visit stores, according to agency executives briefed on the program by Google employees. Google then connects these store visits to Google searches conducted on smartphones in an attempt to prove that its mobile ads do, in fact, work. Google declined multiple requests for comment. If someone conducts a Google mobile search for “screwdrivers,” for instance, a local hardware store could bid to have its store listing served to that user. By pairing that person’s location data with its database of store listings, Google can see if the person who saw that ad subsequently visited the store. Google’s ability to make this connection is predicated on users opting in to location services on their smartphones and thus, in some cases, being subject to constant location monitoring.
08 Nov 18:13

Boy says he was suspended for bringing a purse to school | The Sideshow - Yahoo News

by gguillotte
He said he has been carrying the colorful fabric Vera Bradley bag over his shoulder for some time with no issues. "It expresses myself and I think everyone else can wear it, so I wear it as well," Skylar told KCTV5's Dave Jordan. He was summoned to Assistant Principal Don Hillard's office after he wouldn't take it off. "I went to the office and I refused to take it off, and they suspended me," the teen explained.
08 Nov 18:11

Photo



08 Nov 18:11

A (Very) Concise History Of Racism In Wrestling, 1980-Present

An encyclopedia of stereotypes, from Virgil to Kamala to Mr. Fuji to the Mexicools, and many more in between.
08 Nov 18:10

Caramelizing Onions: You're Doing It Wrong

The key to good French onion soup is to cook the onions so long that they threaten to melt into a viscous, dark brown paste, à la Marmite. There are no shortcuts when you’re caramelizing onions; it always takes at least an hour, usually longer.
08 Nov 17:56

ria-rha: Asi submitted: Beautiful Female Armour by Don Santos I’m not even sure the word...

ria-rha:

image

Asi submitted:

Beautiful Female Armour by Don Santos

I’m not even sure the word ‘beautiful’ does it justice. That’s gorgeous, it really is. Here’s a link to more of Don Santos’ work, if anyone’s interested. -Staci

 

08 Nov 17:55

Photo





08 Nov 17:55

slashfilms: Universal Monsters

















slashfilms:

Universal Monsters

08 Nov 17:54

tastefullyoffensive: [thisthinghere]











tastefullyoffensive:

[thisthinghere]

08 Nov 17:53

Photo



08 Nov 17:53

Photo



08 Nov 17:51

Dell's suppliers accused of hiring underage workers in China

by Amar Toor

Two labor rights watchdogs have accused Dell's China-based suppliers of exploiting factory workers, forcing them to work long hours in squalid conditions. In a report published Tuesday, Danish nonprofit DanWatch claimed that electronics factories in China's Guangdong and Jiangsu regions are employing underage workers, subjecting them to verbal abuse and forcing them to work up to 74 hours per week for well below the Chinese minimum wage. The report was published as part of a joint undercover investigation with China Labor Watch (CLW), marking the latest in a series of alleged labor abuses by Chinese suppliers of American technology companies.

"When companies compete on supplying computers in the cheapest way possible, and when our public buyers aim for the cheapest wares on the market, a high human cost is paid," Eva Hesse Lundström, DanWatch editor, said in a statement this week. "Our research shows that the conditions at Dell's suppliers violate [International Labour Organization] conventions and Chinese labor law as well as Dell's own policy."

The investigation covered four factories that manufacture PC components for Dell, Asus, HP, Microsoft, and Samsung, though DanWatch focused its attention on Dell because it supplies computers to the Danish government. According to the report, workers at these factories were regularly exposed to toxic fumes, and were forced to work between 48 and 136 hours of overtime per month. Many of the workers are students — including some under the age of 18 — who live in on-site dorms. In one dorm, there is only one toilet for 55 workers, and one shower for up to 90, the report claims.

90 workers, one shower

The DanWatch report was published just days before a separate Bloomberg Businessweek investigation revealed widespread cases of forced labor along Apple's overseas supply chain. Apple has made moves to crack down on labor abuse in Asia through audits and greater oversight, though critics have urged the company to do more.

When informed of the report, Dell said it had already audited three of the four sites, and that it would investigate any outstanding issues uncovered by DanWatch and CLW.

"When the DanWatch inquiry came in, we responded with a statement saying if there were issues brought up in their letter that were not identified in our recent audit findings, our Supply Chain Social and Environmental Responsibility (SCSER) team would investigate," Trisa Thopmson, Dell's VP of Corporate Responsibility, wrote in a blog post published Thursday.

"Since then, we have engaged the leadership teams at each of the suppliers in the report, collaborated on corrective action plans and have held regular meetings to ensure progress is being made on the plans," Thompson continued. "We will conduct a follow-up audit on all serious issues before any actions will be considered closed."

08 Nov 17:49

This Is What It Feels Like To Have Dyslexia

"Being dyslexic, one thing always stood out," Sam Barclay explains in his Kickstarter video. "The available help was always aimed at making me read better. Very little effort was made to help the people around me understand what it feels like to struggle with reading."
08 Nov 17:46

Bad TripAdvisor Reviews Of The Eight Wonders Of The World

More like LAME wall of China
08 Nov 17:46

Nixon Had It Right: The Government Should Be Wiretapped

Richard Nixon's paranoia was actually a teachable moment, though far too soon for the American people to fully comprehend its potential. We needed the Patriot Act and the treasure trove of Snowden leaks to learn that he'd had been right all along.
08 Nov 11:10

Gawker Dad Calls Cops on Son to Teach Him a Lesson, Cops Shoot Son Dead | Jalopnik Here Is The Best

by Jessica Smith
firehose

'Ames Police Officer Adam McPherson reportedly spotted the lawn care company vehicle and pursued it onto the Iowa State University campus, where a brief standoff ensued after Tyler allegedly refused orders to turn off the engine.

McPherson eventually fired six shots into the truck, two of which struck Tyler who was later pronounced dead.

The official report claims the action was necessary in order "to stop the ongoing threat to the public and the officers."

Tyler's dad says he was unarmed at the time.

"So he didn't shut the damn truck off, so let's fire six rounds at him?" exclaimed Gary Shepley, Tyler's step-grandfather. "We're confused, and we don't understand." '

Gawker Dad Calls Cops on Son to Teach Him a Lesson, Cops Shoot Son Dead | Jalopnik Here Is The Best Response To YouTube Comment Trolls You'll See | Kotaku Maker of 'Crude' Game Trolls Apple with Reverse Striptease | Lifehacker How to Survive a Fancy Formal Dinner

Read more...


    






08 Nov 06:14

Close-Up Video of Happy Dog Faces Shot With a GoPro Camera

by Kimber Streams

MicBergsma has created a fun and lighthearted close-up video of dog faces using a GoPro camera.

via Tastefully Offensive

08 Nov 06:06

Man Up

by Rivers McCown
firehose

"There will always be locker-room assholes. They should be curtailed. And when a player says he needs time off for mental reasons — again: in a sport with a suicide problem — it shouldn't spark a national conversation on whether he's soft.

I am here to hurt you, so I'll also say this: You're a warrior, cool. What the hell are you a warrior for? I'm sorry if this makes it sound like I have emotions other than anger — I assure you that I don't — but tell me this: What's the point of being strong if all you stand for is abusing a suffering teammate?"

Brian Phillips of Grantland expertly buries the NFL's warrior culture.

08 Nov 05:41

Welcome to your nightmare Timbers 2-1 Seattle (by Chris S.)



Welcome to your nightmare Timbers 2-1 Seattle (by Chris S.)

08 Nov 05:41

"51st—Timbers Army chanting “YOU CANNOT STOP US! WE ARE THE ROSE CITY!” The rest of MLS..."

firehose

The way before you has been prepared.

“51st—Timbers Army chanting “YOU CANNOT STOP US! WE ARE THE ROSE CITY!” The rest of MLS agrees.”

- Timbers vs. Sounders—High-Pitched Live Blog Action! | Blogtown, PDX | Portland Mercury
08 Nov 04:26

21 Hard To Believe Facts About 'Wealthy America' And 'Poor America'

The six heirs of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton have as much wealth as the bottom one-third of all Americans combined.
08 Nov 04:24

Even for soccer this is an unfortunate haircut

by bubbaprog
2013 November 7 21 48 58
08 Nov 04:20

Canonical “abused trademark law” to target a site critical of Ubuntu privacy

by Jon Brodkin
This logo, if not used properly, could get you in trouble.

Canonical, the maker of Ubuntu, has been fending off criticism from privacy advocates because the desktop search tool in recent versions of the operating system also searches the Internet. That means if you're searching your desktop for a file or application, you might also see results from Amazon or other websites.

One person who dislikes Canonical's search tool is Micah Lee, a technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation who maintains the HTTPS Everywhere project and is CTO of the Freedom of the Press Foundation. Lee set up a website called "Fix Ubuntu," which provides instructions for disabling the Internet search tool.

"If you're an Ubuntu user and you're using the default settings, each time you start typing in Dash (to open an application or search for a file on your computer), your search terms get sent to a variety of third parties, some of which advertise to you," the website says.

Read 10 remaining paragraphs | Comments


    






08 Nov 04:18

Wonder Woman rumored to be part of Batman-Superman movie

by Casey Newton
firehose

huh

Wonder Woman rumored to be part of Batman-Superman movie | The Verge

Loading

By Casey Newton on November 7, 2013 08:51 pm

Don't miss stories Follow The Verge

batman superman

The untitled sequel to this year's Man of Steel will feature Wonder Woman alongside Batman and Superman, according to a new report. Variety says producers are considering actresses Gal Gadot of Fast and Furious, Elodie Yung of G.I Joe Retaliation, and Olga Kurylenko of Quantum of Solace. The actress ultimately may instead be cast as a love interest for Bruce Wayne, Variety reports, but the casting description calls for an "athletic and exotic" actress that matches the description of Diana Prince's alter ego.

Due in July 2015, the sequel will star Man of Steel's Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as Batman. According to Variety, additional members of the Justice League might appear in the film, including the Flash. Man of Steel's Zach Snyder will return as director.

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08 Nov 04:11

Max Gentlemen, extreme manners hat-stacking sim, gets funded

by David Hinkle
firehose

"Max Gentlemen, a game inspired by a spam email of the same name sent to Organ Trail developers The Men Who Wear Many Hats"

"Max Gentlemen is an arcade-style game about Victorian-era gentlemen seeing who can stack their hats the highest"

"Max Gentlemen will be a free download on iOS, Android, Ouya, PC, Mac and Linux"

I really like this developer

Max Gentlemen, a game inspired by a spam email of the same name sent to Organ Trail developers The Men Who Wear Many Hats, has greatly surpassed its funding goal on Kickstarter. The game was seeking a mere $500 but ended up grossing over $12,000.

At its core, Max Gentlemen is an arcade-style game about Victorian-era gentlemen seeing who can stack their hats the highest. Players must stack hats while avoiding obstacles across different venues, including the bar room brawl seen above. The original pitch video also reveals a stage coach level.

Max Gentlemen will be a free download on iOS, Android, Ouya, PC, Mac and Linux. The game will feature several different modes, levels, hats, gentlemen and hat-stacking duels against other human players through cross-platform multiplayer. In addition to receiving the game, all Kickstarter backers get a fan-game from Brine Software called Boxing Simulator 1898.

JoystiqMax Gentlemen, extreme manners hat-stacking sim, gets funded originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Nov 2013 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
08 Nov 04:07

Moldy Manse: 1937

by Dave
firehose

via multitasksuicide
ain't much changed http://goo.gl/maps/UBNBX

New Orleans, 1937. "Le Pretre Mansion, 716 Dauphine Street, built 1835-6. Joseph Saba house." Our third look at the so-called Sultan's Palace. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size.
08 Nov 04:05

Private parts

by K.N.C. and L.P.
firehose

via multitasksuicide

Privacy perceptions vary wildly by country

HOW personal is social-networking information? Or call records? As Twitter goes public on November 7th and details of American surveillance leak out, the issue of digital privacy is only growing. Yet there are significant variations in views across countries. Americans and China hold opposite opinions about location, purchases and website visits. Where most Americans treat this information as private at a ratio of at least two to one, most Chinese treat them as barely private or not private at all. More broadly, India and China seem to have fewer privacy qualms than the West, while Brazil holds similar views. Indians, interestingly, ascribe little privacy to information about children. Most intriguingly, the three large developing countries have very different perceptions about health and genetic information: opinions there are equally divided. But in the West, about five to one favour treating the data privately, according to a survey by the Boston Consulting Group.

Continue reading
08 Nov 04:01

thislandislando: diamondstodemons: NASA astronaut Leland D...



thislandislando:

diamondstodemons:

NASA astronaut Leland D Melvin with his dogs Jake and Scout

Fuck. All. Other. Photos.

08 Nov 03:54

Anti-Communist propaganda is more awesome than any horror movie poster

by Vincze Miklós

Anti-Communist propaganda is more awesome than any horror movie poster

Horror movies and Weird Tales magazine have given us some beautiful, spooky and unnerving works of art. But if you really want a dose of scary brilliance? Check out the posters that warned people of the evils of Communism. These are scarier, and more beautiful, than pretty much any horror art you've seen.

Read more...