http://www.sott.net Signs of the Times, featuring news and commentary on world events. Never wavering in our unending search for the light of truth in a pathocracy driven world! en-us Original content Copyright 2010 by Signs of the Times. For other content, see our Fair Use Policy at www.sott.net Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:12:50 -0500 http://www.sott.net/images/sottlogo_rss.jpg SOTT.net http://www.sott.net http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202628-Wisconsin-Man-Tased-at-Shopping-Mall A police detective tased a man in Southridge Mall Saturday. The 20-year-old man fell to the floor and unresponsive. Nurses assisted with CPR and Southridge Mall provided a "paddle device" to try to resuscitate the man until rescue personal arrived. "Everybody was watching and waiting to see if he was coming back (alive) or not," worker Claire Mitchell told TODAY'S TMJ4-HD exclusively. Mitchell was on the second floor of the mall at 4:20 p.m. when she and other shoppers got more than they bargained for. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202628-Wisconsin-Man-Tased-at-Shopping-Mall Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:56:47 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202513-FBI-wants-records-kept-of-Web-sites-visited The FBI is pressing Internet service providers to record which Web sites customers visit and retain those logs for two years, a requirement that law enforcement believes could help it in investigations of child pornography and other serious crimes. FBI Director Robert Mueller supports storing Internet users' "origin and destination information," a bureau attorney said at a federal task force meeting on Thursday. As far back as a 2006 speech, Mueller had called for data retention on the part of Internet providers, and emphasized the point two years later when explicitly asking Congress to enact a law making it mandatory. But it had not been clear before that the FBI was asking companies to begin to keep logs of what Web sites are visited, which few if any currently do. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202513-FBI-wants-records-kept-of-Web-sites-visited Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:08:31 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202503-No-joke-South-Carolina-now-requires-subversives-to-register Terrorists who want to overthrow the United States government must now register with South Carolina's Secretary of State and declare their intentions -- or face a $25,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison. The state's "Subversive Activities Registration Act," passed last year and now officially on the books, states that "every member of a subversive organization, or an organization subject to foreign control, every foreign agent and every person who advocates, teaches, advises or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States ... shall register with the Secretary of State." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202503-No-joke-South-Carolina-now-requires-subversives-to-register Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:03:55 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202499-Google-Links-Up-with-US-Spy-Master-to-Thwart-Threats-to-Cyberspace Google has threatened to pull out of the Chinese market unless Beijing can guarantee uncensored searches Google is teaming up with the US National Security Agency to battle cyber-attacks from China in a move that is causing disquiet on the internet. The alliance of the world's largest internet search company and the world's most powerful electronic surveillance agency has provoked concern among privacy advocates. The non-profit Electronic Privacy Information Centre filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking more details yesterday hours after the deal was disclosed by The Washington Post. The alliance puts Google in bed with the US Government because it challenges suspected Chinese Government interference on the internet. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202499-Google-Links-Up-with-US-Spy-Master-to-Thwart-Threats-to-Cyberspace Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:32:13 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202489-The-Government-has-Your-Baby-s-DNA When Annie Brown's daughter, Isabel, was a month old, her pediatrician asked Brown and her husband to sit down because he had some bad news to tell them: Isabel carried a gene that put her at risk for cystic fibrosis. While grateful to have the information -- Isabel received further testing and she doesn't have the disease -- the Mankato, Minnesota, couple wondered how the doctor knew about Isabel's genes in the first place. After all, they'd never consented to genetic testing. It's simple, the pediatrician answered: Newborn babies in the United States are routinely screened for a panel of genetic diseases. Since the testing is mandated by the government, it's often done without the parents' consent, according to Brad Therrell, director of the National Newborn Screening & Genetics Resource Center. In many states, such as Florida, where Isabel was born, babies' DNA is stored indefinitely, according to the resource center. Many parents don't realize their baby's DNA is being stored in a government lab, but sometimes when they find out, as the Browns did, they take action. Parents in Texas, and Minnesota have filed lawsuits, and these parents' concerns are sparking a new debate about whether it's appropriate for a baby's genetic blueprint to be in the government's possession. "We were appalled when we found out," says Brown, who's a registered nurse. "Why do they need to store my baby's DNA indefinitely? Something on there could affect her ability to get a job later on, or get health insurance." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202489-The-Government-has-Your-Baby-s-DNA Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:27:25 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202450-South-Australia-backs-down-on-internet-comment-curb South Australia's Attorney-General Michael Atkinson admits he misjudged public opinion on the state's attempt to curb political comment on the internet. Mr Atkinson says he will repeal a law which would have meant that anyone posting comment or blogs during an election period would have had to give their real name and postcode. Opponents had branded the law an attack on freedom of speech, and Mr Atkinson says he listened to community concerns in his decision to overturn it. "I now understand that bloggers demand the right to publish, on the net, political commentary in the election period anonymously or under an assumed name," he said. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202450-South-Australia-backs-down-on-internet-comment-curb Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:59:23 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202430-Verichip-is-now-called-PositiveID-Roll-up-your-sleeve-for-the-implantable-human-microchip-it-s-now-Positive- As sure as the sun rises, so Verichip keeps spawning and shape shifting to gain market acceptance as people from across the globe unite and reject the IBM seed-funded, Raytheon-manufactured Human Implantable microchip company. To "mark' a new year, Verichip is now called PositiveID!. If you have followed this company's progress as we have and cited the damning evidence showcasing a casual link between microchipping and cancer⁴, Verichip is certainly not positive. But in this world of semantics and double speak, no doubt a CEO meeting along with other top execs decided that throwing the word "Positive" in the title would make Alzheimer patients who get microchipped without their consent less hesitant as their sleeve was rolled up in the name of "wander protection'. "Was that a needle?" asks the patient? "No! it was a mosquito bite, you have Alzheimer's, remember?" http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202430-Verichip-is-now-called-PositiveID-Roll-up-your-sleeve-for-the-implantable-human-microchip-it-s-now-Positive- Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:52:01 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202429-US-Boy-Faced-Suspension-Over-Tiny-LEGO-Toy-Weapon A fourth grade New Dorp boy faced the prospect of suspension after the principal at his South Beach school saw him playing with an action figure carrying a toy machine gun. Patrick Timoney, a 9-year-old student at PS 52, and friends were playing with LEGOs during their lunch period when the principal took him into her office over the two-inch toy gun carried by a standard policeman figure. Margie Feinberg, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education, told the Staten Island Advance that there is a no-tolerance policy for toy guns in schools. Therefore the principal, Evelyn Matroianni, deemed the pinky-sized toy gun suspension-worthy. Matroianni told Laura Timoney, the boy's mother, that she would check with a DOE security administrator. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202429-US-Boy-Faced-Suspension-Over-Tiny-LEGO-Toy-Weapon Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:51:54 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202428-Puerto-Rico-leader-calls-on-National-Guard-to-help-police-curb-bloody-drug-gang-battles Puerto Rico's governor is activating the National Guard to battle crime in the U.S. territory. Gov. Luis Fortuno said Monday night's executive order activating the Guard is intended as a temporary measure while new police recruits are trained. "Nobody, especially me, can be happy with the number of killings last year. We have to do much more to stop this," Fortuno said in his state of the commonwealth speech. In 2009, Puerto Rico, with nearly 4 million people, had its third-worst year for homicides on record, with more than 890 people slain. Officials said traffickers flooding the island with drug money were making it one of the most violent places under the American flag. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202428-Puerto-Rico-leader-calls-on-National-Guard-to-help-police-curb-bloody-drug-gang-battles Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:51:53 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202427-Google-to-Enlist-NSA-to-Help-It-Ward-Off-Cyberattacks The world's largest Internet search company and the world's most powerful electronic surveillance organization are teaming up in the name of cybersecurity. Under an agreement that is still being finalized, the National Security Agency would help Google analyze a major corporate espionage attack that the firm said originated in China and targeted its computer networks, according to cybersecurity experts familiar with the matter. The objective is to better defend Google -- and its users -- from future attack. Google and the NSA declined to comment on the partnership. But sources with knowledge of the arrangement, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the alliance is being designed to allow the two organizations to share critical information without violating Google's policies or laws that protect the privacy of Americans' online communications. The sources said the deal does not mean the NSA will be viewing users' searches or e-mail accounts or that Google will be sharing proprietary data. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202427-Google-to-Enlist-NSA-to-Help-It-Ward-Off-Cyberattacks Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:29:02 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202363-Police-want-backdoor-to-Web-users-private-data Anyone with an e-mail account likely knows that police can peek inside it if they have a paper search warrant. But cybercrime investigators are frustrated by the speed of traditional methods of faxing, mailing, or e-mailing companies these documents. They're pushing for the creation of a national Web interface linking police computers with those of Internet and e-mail providers so requests can be sent and received electronically. CNET has reviewed a survey scheduled to be released at a federal task force meeting on Thursday, which says that law enforcement agencies are virtually unanimous in calling for such an interface to be created. Eighty-nine percent of police surveyed, it says, want to be able to "exchange legal process requests and responses to legal process" through an encrypted, police-only "nationwide computer network." (See one excerpt and another.) http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202363-Police-want-backdoor-to-Web-users-private-data Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:53:22 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202362-U-S-Presses-Brussels-on-Terror-Data-Swaps US efforts to track down terrorist financing will be dealt a severe blow if a deal between the European Union and the US on sharing banking transfer data is rejected by the European parliament, according to a senior US official. The Brussels-based parliament is preparing to vote next week on whether to allow the US to continue accessing data gathered by Swift, a private company which helps co-ordinate money transfers between banks and logs money movements. The US Treasury has subpoenaed Swift transfer data continuously since the September 11 2001 attacks, but a decision by Swift to move key computer servers from the US to Europe from last month means Washington must now convince the EU to hand over the data voluntarily. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202362-U-S-Presses-Brussels-on-Terror-Data-Swaps Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:46:50 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202361-Draconian-new-electoral-laws-for-South-Australia- Say what you want - but we know where you live South Australians were this week up in arms at the propsect of a $5000 fine for posting anonymous comment online in respect of an upcoming state election. The new Australian law came into force on January 6, and makes it an offence for anyone to comment online about state elections (including one shortly to be held in March) unless they also publish their real name and postcode. Failure to do so - even posting under a pseudonym - is now an offence. Media organisations will be required to keep posters' details on file for six months and face "fines of $5000 if they do not hand over this information to the Electoral Commissioner." It is likely that the law will also affect anyone posting comment on newspaper websites, and could as easily apply to election comment made on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202361-Draconian-new-electoral-laws-for-South-Australia- Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:44:27 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202360-Bosses-Should-Be-Honest-About-Their-Electronic-Privacy-Policies Is it unreasonable to expect your boss to keep his word? The recent privacy case of Quon v. Arch Wireless raises the simple but important question of whether public employers must be honest with employees about their monitoring practices. Look at the case as the equivalent of the children's game of making up something untrue and then saying, "It doesn't count. I had my fingers crossed." Before long, reasonable individuals will refuse to play along. The case is not about whether employers should be allowed to monitor employee communications. Employers have many legitimate reasons to do so. High-tech employers need to protect their trade secrets from being shared with competitors. That's understood. All employers need to be concerned about E-mail or text messages being used for sexual harassment. No argument there. Nothing in the Quon decision interferes in any way with companies conducting monitoring to head off these and other real problems. What Quon says is that an employer must be upfront and consistent in its monitoring policies. No more, no less. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202360-Bosses-Should-Be-Honest-About-Their-Electronic-Privacy-Policies Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:44:26 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202358-UK-We-don-t-need-secret-surveillance-cameras Unlike ordinary CCTV cameras, Britain's 10,500 ANPR cameras are placed in secret locations. Police should end the mystery It's not news that Britain has a lot of surveillance cameras, with around 60,000 run by local authorities alone. However, most cameras record only images, which are normally kept for a few weeks. Unless and until facial recognition technology improves significantly, these are not capable of creating a database of people's movements. But the police's network of automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) cameras - which now total 10,502 in England and Wales - already do just that. The cameras aim to read the numberplate of every passing vehicle, with the data held for two years in the National ANPR Data Centre, regardless of whether the vehicle is linked to crime. (A move to keeping it for five years appears to have been shelved, following discussions with the information commissioner's office.) http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202358-UK-We-don-t-need-secret-surveillance-cameras Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:38:41 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202357-US-Christian-Father-Faces-Jail-for-Taking-Daughter-to-Church Joseph Reyes knew he could be accused of defying a court order barring him from taking his daughter to church. But he did it anyway and now he is facing contempt of court charges and jail. The 35 year old, holding his 3 year old in his arms, walked into Holy Name Cathedral on January 17. A news crew videotaped the act of defiance. "I have been ordered by a judge not to expose my daughter to anything non-Judaism," Reyes told a news reporter. "But I am taking her to hear the teachings of perhaps the most prominent Jewish Rabbi in the history of this great planet of ours. I can't think of anything more Jewish than that." The prominent Jewish Rabbi that Reyes referenced was Jesus Christ. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202357-US-Christian-Father-Faces-Jail-for-Taking-Daughter-to-Church Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:25:37 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202345-Rupert-Murdoch-Says-Destiny-of-News-Corp-Newspapers-is-in-Paid-For-Online-Content Rupert Murdoch said the destiny of News Corporation's newspapers is in paid-for content, claiming that his media empire is "on the cusp of a digital dynasty" from which it will profit greatly. Unveiling a $284m (£178m) post-tax profit for the three months to December, Mr Murdoch proclaimed "content is not just king, it is the emperor of all things electronic." Promising to announce major developments "in the next two months," the owner of the Sun and Wall Street Journal said consumers want content on an array of devices, and are willing to pay. Mr Murdoch disclosed that News Corp is in "advanced discussions" with other media companies about how to monetize newspaper content, as well as holding "very substantive conversations" with device makers to allow readers to access "high quality journalism wherever and whenever they want it." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202345-Rupert-Murdoch-Says-Destiny-of-News-Corp-Newspapers-is-in-Paid-For-Online-Content Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:46:10 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202316-A-scheme-only-psychopaths-could-invent-Israeli-mind-scanner-planned-for-airports As part of stringent measures to beef up airport security, US authorities may use an Israeli-made mind-reading scanner that allegedly predicts whether a passenger is a potential threat or not. The Transportation and Safety Administration (TSA) and the Homeland Security are considering the installment of a controversial mind-reading system, that was recently developed by the Israeli-based WeCU Technologies, in all American airports, AP reported on Thursday. The device, which functions by blending high computer technology and behavioral psychology, is essentially designed to "get inside the evildoers head" without the subject's knowledge and prevent him or her from placing the lives of fellow travelers in jeopardy. According to WeCU Technologies CEO, Ehud Givon, people cannot help reacting mechanically to recognizable images that suddenly appear in unfamiliar places. With that in mind, the system aims to project images onto airport screens, such as symbols affiliated with a terrorist group or signs only a terrorist would recognize. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202316-A-scheme-only-psychopaths-could-invent-Israeli-mind-scanner-planned-for-airports Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:31:46 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202310-UK-Smoking-ban-could-be-extended-to-cover-office-doorways Smokers could be pushed further out into the cold under new government plans to extend the cigarette ban outdoors to include entrances to workplaces, bus shelters and pub beer gardens. Andy Burnham, the health secretary, will review the current law to see if it should be strengthened to include areas where smokers have gathered since the 2007 ban. Plain packaging for cigarettes and a complete ban on cigarette vending machines could also be introduced. Mr Burnham said he wants to halve the number of smokers in England from one fifth (21%) of the population to one in 10 by 2020. The target requires around four million of England's estimated eight million smokers to quit. An extension of the ban - which currently covers enclosed spaces - to include open-air but busy areas such as office doorways and pub gardens, would also reduce passive smoking, Department of Health (DH) officials believe. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202310-UK-Smoking-ban-could-be-extended-to-cover-office-doorways Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:54:15 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202309-UK-ID-minister-promises-virtual-immortality-for-all-Britons National ID register will hold the quick and the dead The government has guaranteed virtual immortality for every British citizen - as long as they join the National Identity Register. In a Commons answer yesterday ID card minister Meg Hillier confirmed that once you're on the register, nothing will remove you - not even death. She was answering a question from Francis Maude MP, who asked "whether (a) biometric and (b) personal data of individuals stored on the National Identity Register will be removed from the register if (i) they die and (ii) they decide not to renew their identity card." Hillier replied: "Information will be retained for as long as is necessary, but only where it is consistent with the statutory purposes set out in the Identity Cards Act 2006." Which puts the time limit firmly on a par with a piece of string. Luckily, Hillier explained what this means: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202309-UK-ID-minister-promises-virtual-immortality-for-all-Britons Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:54:14 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202306-Seven-Corporations-of-Interest-in-Selling-Surveillance-Tools-to-China Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's announcement of a new U.S. policy on global Internet Freedom included a bold new statement about the responsibilities of American technology companies: ...We are urging U.S. media companies to take a proactive role in challenging foreign governments' demands for censorship and surveillance. The private sector has a shared responsibility to help safeguard free expression. And when their business dealings threaten to undermine this freedom, they need to consider what's right, not simply what's a quick profit. We couldn't agree more. While Clinton focuses on media companies - meaning Internet media companies like Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft - there are plenty of other companies deserving scrutiny. Specfically, many U.S. (and multinational) technology companies may be knowingly selling Chinese authorities the surveillance equipment used to commit or facilitate human rights abuses. We think it's high time to pay attention to them as well. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202306-Seven-Corporations-of-Interest-in-Selling-Surveillance-Tools-to-China Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:37:03 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202305-UK-Police-could-be-in-breach-of-human-rights-legislation-for-using-secret-footage-of-hunts-say-lawyers Police forces that use video surveillance of hunts recorded by animal rights groups could be breaking the law, under new guidance. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) says that if police know about the activists' intention to begin secret filming and are prepared to use it in court, senior officers should consider whether it is in line with privacy laws. They should seek authorisation for the filming under the same laws used to spy on terrorism suspects. Without authorisation, the footage could be excluded from court and the people captured on film could sue the police for breach of privacy, according to lawyers. The Countryside Alliance said the new guidance would stop unwarranted filming of hunts. Since hunting was outlawed in 2005, animal rights groups regularly join hunts waring luminous tops carrying video cameras so they can "monitor" if a fox is killed illegally. They also regularly film undercover and use hidden cameras around foxes' earths. The footage can be passed onto the police as evidence. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202305-UK-Police-could-be-in-breach-of-human-rights-legislation-for-using-secret-footage-of-hunts-say-lawyers Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:31:14 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202303-Spy-planes-should-target-terrorists-not-tractor-thieves The trouble with taking a week off is that you can't turn your back for five minutes. You never know what they'll try to slip under the radar. Here's one you may have missed, although in this case it would be more accurate to say above the radar. A consortium of government agencies, led for some reason by Kent Police, is planning to launch a fleet of unmanned spy planes, similar to the military drones used over Afghanistan. According to a report in The Guardian, these will 'greatly expand the Government's surveillance capacity and revolutionise policing'. They can fly at 20,000ft, stay in the air for 15 hours at a stretch and are due to be up and running by 2012. Test flights will begin later this year. Each will be equipped with sophisticated long-range CCTV cameras designed to combat everything from illegal immigration to fly-tipping. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202303-Spy-planes-should-target-terrorists-not-tractor-thieves Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:23:16 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202300-Passengers-who-refuse-scanner-face-flying-ban Passengers who refuse to go through an airport body scanner will be refused permission to fly, the Government has said. The strict rules were confirmed as scanners were introduced at Heathrow and Manchester airport as security was stepped up following the attempt to bring down a transatlantic flight on Christmas Day. All passengers, even children, face potential selection, the Department for Transport said. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202300-Passengers-who-refuse-scanner-face-flying-ban Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:52:19 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202264-Spying-on-Americans-A-Multibillion-Bonanza-for-the-Telecoms America's endless & highly profitable, "War on Terror." Court Tosses NSA Spy Suits, Sides with White House Over Illegal Surveillance In late January, the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General released a report that provided startling new details on illegal operations by the FBI's Communications Analysis Unit (CAU) and America's grifting telecoms. For years, AT&T, Verizon, MCI and others fed the Bureau phone records of journalists and citizens under the guise of America's endless, and highly profitable, "War on Terror." Between 2002 and 2007, the FBI illegally collected more than 4,000 U.S. telephone records, citing bogus terrorism threats or simply by persuading telephone companies to hand over the records. Why? Because the FBI could and the telecoms were more than willing to help out a "friend"--and reap profits accrued by shredding the Constitution in the process. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202264-Spying-on-Americans-A-Multibillion-Bonanza-for-the-Telecoms Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:46:25 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202238-The-Terror-Card-Fear-is-the-Key-to-Obedience The Terrorism Industrial Complex (TIC) Definitions of terrorism Webster's dictionary defines terrorism as the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.1 However, the United States code defined terrorism as "(An) act of terrorism means an activity that (A) involves a violent act or an act dangerous to human life that is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or of any state, and (B) appears to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population: (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping."2 This is an official congressional definition of terrorism that applies only to other nations. However, the psychological end results of terror, is always fear that eventually leads to resignation and submission. Fear and terrorism are interconnected, therefore, we should discuss their connection in order to understand their impact on our behavior, and their use to control people. Fear has been the glue that has kept people attached to their dictators and to their gods. It is worth our time to take a brief look at this phenomenon that rules our existence. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202238-The-Terror-Card-Fear-is-the-Key-to-Obedience Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:18:32 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202237-CCTV-drones-Policing-by-remote-control All we have of freedom, all we use or know - this our fathers bought for us long and long ago. - Rudyard Kipling, The Old Issue A recent Guardian newspaper article ('CCTV in the sky: police plan to use military-style spy drones', 23rd January 2010[1]) reveals plans to use surveillance drones/Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to spy on UK citizens. The project, called the South Coast Partnership, sees arms manufacturer BAE Systems teaming up with a "consortium of government agencies led by Kent police". The Guardian report states that: Police in the UK are planning to use unmanned spy drones, controversially deployed in Afghanistan, for the ¬"routine" monitoring of antisocial motorists, ¬protesters, agricultural thieves and fly-tippers, in a significant expansion of covert state surveillance. The Home Office's 'Science and Innovation Strategy 2009 - 12' [2], published last year, confirms that the UK government has been exploring the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as a policing "tool", it states: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202237-CCTV-drones-Policing-by-remote-control Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:02:09 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202236-UK-Airport-scanners-go-live-today-kids-included The peeping Tom you can't refuse Body scanners went into operation at Heathrow and Manchester airports this morning. People chosen by security staff will not be allowed onto flights without going through the machine from now on. Lord Adonis said he expected more machines to go live later this month, with further examples to be introduced at Birmingham airport soon. Anyone selected for the scanners must go through the machine - there is no option to choose a pat-down search instead. Children can also be selected for scanning - despite early concerns that taking such images could breach child pornography laws. A spokesman for the Department of Transport said this was a proportional response on national security grounds. A spokeswoman at Heathrow confirmed the machines had gone live, but said it was too early to gauge passenger response. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202236-UK-Airport-scanners-go-live-today-kids-included Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:02:03 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202235-Propaganda-Alert-Terrorists-plan-attack-on-Britain-with-bombs-INSIDE-their-bodies-to-foil-new-airport-scanners Britain is facing a new Al Qaeda terror threat from suicide 'body bombers' with explosives surgically inserted inside them. Until now, terrorists have attacked airlines, Underground trains and buses by secreting bombs in bags, shoes or underwear to avoid detection. But an operation by MI5 has uncovered evidence that Al Qaeda is planning a new stage in its terror campaign by inserting 'surgical bombs' inside people for the first time. New weapon: To avoid detection by airport body scanners (above), Al Qaeda are said to be planning to surgically insert explosives into suicide bombers' bodies Security services believe the move has been prompted by the recent introduction at airports of body scanners, which are designed to catch terrorists before they board flights. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202235-Propaganda-Alert-Terrorists-plan-attack-on-Britain-with-bombs-INSIDE-their-bodies-to-foil-new-airport-scanners Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:52:54 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202226-Russian-Police-Break-up-Protests-Scores-Detained Moscow - Russian police broke up anti-Kremlin protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg on Sunday, and detained more than 100 demonstrators, including several opposition leaders. In Moscow, several hundred demonstrators gathered in a central square, defying a ban imposed by authorities. The protesters said their rally was banned in violation of the Russian constitution's guarantee of the right to gather. They denounced the policies of President Dmitry Medvedev and his predecessor and mentor Vladimir Putin, who continues to wield broad powers as Russia's powerful prime minister. Protesters shouted "Shame!" and "Down with Putin!" as Moscow police in riot gear pushed them into buses. Several dozen protesters were detained, including opposition leaders Boris Nemtsov, Eduard Limonov, Ilya Yashin, and the head of the Memorial rights group, Oleg Orlov. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202226-Russian-Police-Break-up-Protests-Scores-Detained Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:48:02 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202174-Poland-Priest-Checks-Fingerprints-for-Mass-Attendance Warsaw - A Polish priest has installed an electronic reader in his church for schoolchildren to leave their fingerprints in order to monitor their attendance at mass, the Gazeta Wyborcza daily said on Friday. The pupils will mark their fingerprints every time they go to church over three years and if they attend 200 masses they will be freed from the obligation of having to pass an exam prior to their confirmation, the paper said. The pupils in the southern town of Gryfow Slaski told the daily they liked the idea and also the priest, Grzegorz Sowa, who invented it. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202174-Poland-Priest-Checks-Fingerprints-for-Mass-Attendance Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:55:19 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202156-US-Police-Officer-Uses-Pepper-Spray-On-Burning-Man Dodge City Man Dies After Setting Self On Fire Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer said an officer who was attempting to help a man who had set himself on fire accidentally sprayed him with pepper spray. Sizer said the officer spotted the man in flames Wednesday in downtown Portland and hurried to get a fire extinguisher from the trunk of her patrol car. Instead, Sizer said, she accidentally grabbed a large can of pepper spray, colored red like an extinguisher. Portland fire officials said the nonflammable spray had no additional effect on the man. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202156-US-Police-Officer-Uses-Pepper-Spray-On-Burning-Man Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:18:51 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202154-UK-Council-snoopers-question-five-year-olds-on-home-life Children as young as five are being told to fill in Big Brother-style forms which let councils snoop on intimate details about their home lives. The questions - which have been attacked as exploitative - ask about junk food, television habits, family time and even whether the youngsters 'like themselves'. Results are stored on a database, allowing families deemed to be 'at risk' to be referred to social services or doctors. Children are asked to colour in answers to questions such as how much fruit they eat each day compared to crisps and fizzy drinks. Hundreds of the 'lifestyle' quizzes, which are backed by the Department of Health, have been handed out in an attempt to build a picture of the health and wellbeing of individual households. But privacy campaigners last night condemned the forms. Alex Deane, of Big Brother Watch, described it as 'an unbelievable intrusion into private life'. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202154-UK-Council-snoopers-question-five-year-olds-on-home-life Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:08:09 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202075-Wikileaks-temporarily-shuts-down-due-to-lack-of-funds Whistleblowing website says it cannot continue without public donations and has appealed for cash The whistleblowing website Wikileaks has temporarily shut down because of a lack of funds. The site, which has been a major irritant to governments and big businesses since it launched in 2007, says it cannot keep going without more public donations. Wikileaks' organisers announced the suspension in a statement on its site. "To concentrate on raising the funds necessary to keep us alive into 2010, we have reluctantly suspended all other operations, but will be back soon," it says. Pleading for more cash, it explained that publishing hundreds of thousands of previously secret documents each year costs money. "If staff are paid, our yearly budget is $600,000 [£372,000]," it said. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202075-Wikileaks-temporarily-shuts-down-due-to-lack-of-funds Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:18:04 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202074-MEPs-unconvinced-on-benefits-of-body-scanners Members call for greater information sharing, rather than 'unproven' technology Technology should not become the "religion of counter-terrorism", according to Civil Liberties Committee MEPs discussing the use of body scanners in the European Union (EU) yesterday. Several MEPs argued in a debate with the EU's counter-terrorism co-ordinator Gilles de Kerkhove that better information sharing among governments and security agencies should be at the forefront of the fight on terrorism. Cypriot MEP Antigoni Papadopoulou cited health concerns over the scanning technology, especially for people wearing pacemakers, and said that the images could be seen as a "violation of dignity". http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202074-MEPs-unconvinced-on-benefits-of-body-scanners Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:11:08 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202073-US-California-School-Punished-Kid-for-Video-Dad-Says A dad says Roseville Joint Union High School District unfairly threw his son off the Granite Bay High School basketball team because the boy produced a parody video about hip-hop music and the youth drug culture and posted it on Youtube. The boy and his friends did the video on their own time, in the summer, according to the complaint in Placer County Court. The father wants to see all the email messages, counselors' and basketball records and other items regarding the district's decision to retaliate against his son. Plaintiff Mike Harris says he asked to see the records documenting "the manner in which the district learned about and reacted to" his son's video. After submitting a written request, he says he was allowed to see his son's cumulative and disciplinary files, but nothing else. Miller wants to see the complete record. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202073-US-California-School-Punished-Kid-for-Video-Dad-Says Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:05:12 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202072-Obama-Speaks-Transparency-Practices-Subterfuge From healthcare to public debt, pundits are attacking President Barack Obama's first State of the Union address from almost every conceivable angle. When it comes to Obama transparency, Electronic Frontier Foundation privacy attorney Kurt Opsahl points out that the chief executive told the American public one thing Wednesday night and a federal appeals court another just a few weeks ago. The issue at hand surrounds lobbying. "It's time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my administration or Congress," the president said during his televised address. But, before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month, the Justice Department argued that it should not have to disclose the names of telecommunication industry lobbyists. Those companies successfully lobbied Congress and President George W. Bush in 2008 to approve legislation that provided their companies with retroactive immunity to lawsuits accusing them of funneling, without warrants, all domestic electronic communications to the National Security Agency. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202072-Obama-Speaks-Transparency-Practices-Subterfuge Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:51:20 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202069-US-City-Condems-House-Because-Woman-Was-Trying-to-Save-Money-By-Using-Solar-Panels-and-Batteries-Instead-of-Utility-Power An Avondale woman who spent 11 days sleeping in her car said the city treated her unfairly when her home was condemned in December for lack of electricity. But city officials said Christine Stevens violated building codes, a health and safety concern because Avondale homes are required to have heating systems and a running refrigerator. Stevens, 47, was trying to make ends meet by powering her home with solar panels and batteries for several months before Avondale code enforcement officials visited her on Dec. 10. "We explained to her that the panels weren't enough to sustain a quality of life there," said Pam Altounian, code enforcement manager for Avondale. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202069-US-City-Condems-House-Because-Woman-Was-Trying-to-Save-Money-By-Using-Solar-Panels-and-Batteries-Instead-of-Utility-Power Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:06:17 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202068-Alabama-US-Park-In-Your-Yard-Pay-A-Fine Parking your car in your front yard, or on the sidewalk, has just become a crime in one area city. The Birmingham City Council passed a new parking ordinance Tuesday morning. From now on, parking away from the pavement could cost you a fine. A set of tire tracks leads up to a blue truck parked in the front yard of a man who feels a new law is violating his rights. "We don't own anything anymore. If the city can come in, City Council comes and says, 'you cannot do this, you cannot do that on your property, because this is just the beginning,'" said John W. Ford, Sr. Ford is fuming over a new ordinance that prohibits him from parking in his own grass. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202068-Alabama-US-Park-In-Your-Yard-Pay-A-Fine Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:55:27 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202046-Motorist-receives-50-on-the-spot-fine-for-blowing-his-nose-in-stationary-car A businessman has been fined by cops for blowing his nose in a car. Dad-of-two Michael Mancini pulled out a tissue while he was stuck in stationary traffic - with his handbrake on. But he was given a £60 fixed penalty notice for "not being in control of his vehicle". The cop who handed out the ticket was PC Stuart Gray - dubbed PC Shiny Buttons for his zealous approach to the job. He was exposed last year after he issued a £50 fixed penalty to a man who accidentally dropped a £10 note in the street. Last night, Michael, 39, who's never been in trouble with police, said: "I was in total shock. I was stuck in traffic with the handbrake on and my nose was running. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202046-Motorist-receives-50-on-the-spot-fine-for-blowing-his-nose-in-stationary-car Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:45:36 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202005-Uganda-Terrorist-Threats-Force-Armed-Personnel-on-Regional-Planes Terror threats that may involve hijacking of planes by suspected terrorists have forced Ugandan security to provide armed personnel on regional planes. Security sources, who declined to be named because they are not authorised to talk to the press, said armed marshals started operating on flights plying the Juba - Entebbe route after anonymous terror threats were issued last month. "The marshals board the planes whenever they leave Entebbe to Juba and vice versa to counter any hijacking incidents that may arise while airborne," the source said. Deputy Police spokesman Vincent Ssekatte confirmed that on-board security has been provided to all planes in the country but could not comment on whether the security personnel are armed. "All planes and flights have been secured both on ground and air within Uganda," Mr Ssekatte said yesterday. He said the move is aimed at providing maximum safety to passengers in Ugandan skies. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202005-Uganda-Terrorist-Threats-Force-Armed-Personnel-on-Regional-Planes Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:44:50 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202003-UK-gov-uses-booze-to-lure-London-kids-into-ID-scheme Madchester scheme heads south Young people in London are getting the chance to get their hands on an ID card, the lucky so-and-sos. The next stage of the Home Office's attempts to get the cards accepted is to target those privacy-disregarding, Facebook-obsessed youths in the capital. People aged between 16 and 24 years old who hold a current or recently expired passport can apply for a card from 8 February. Using the same lines as in Manchester, where the pilot was started, young people are told the card will help them buy booze, cigarettes, mucky movies, travel to Europe and even open a bank account. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202003-UK-gov-uses-booze-to-lure-London-kids-into-ID-scheme Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:32:06 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202002-UK-Airline-passengers-have-no-right-to-refuse-naked-body-scanners Ministers ignore human rights advice and rule out option of pat-down search when scanner goes on trial at Heathrow next week Airline passengers will have no right to refuse to go through a full-body search scanner when the devices are introduced at Heathrow airport next week, ministers have confirmed. The option of having a full-body pat-down search instead, offered to passengers at US airports, will not be available despite warnings from the government's Equality and Human Rights Commission that the scanners, which reveal naked bodies, breach privacy rules under the Human Rights Act. The transport minister Paul Clark told MPs a random selection of passengers would go through the new scanners at UK airports. The machines' introduction would be followed later this year by extra "trace" scanners, which can detect liquid explosives. A draft code of practice covering privacy and health issues is being discussed in Whitehall. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202002-UK-Airline-passengers-have-no-right-to-refuse-naked-body-scanners Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:27:58 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201996-Customs-and-Border-Protection-CBP-First-Production-Documents In response to the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking documents about the government's policy of searching travelers' laptops and cell phones at U.S. border crossings without suspicion of wrongdoing, the government has released hundreds of pages of documents about the policy. The records reveal new information about how many devices have been searched, what happens to travelers' files once they are in the government's possession, and travelers' complaints about how they are treated by border officials. The ACLU's analysis of the first batch of documents released by CBP reveals: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201996-Customs-and-Border-Protection-CBP-First-Production-Documents Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:17:35 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201995-Compulsory-perv-scanners-upset-everyone The European Court of Human Rights is going to love this The debate over use of scanners in UK airports is rapidly turning into knock-about farce, as the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) takes a firm stand on some people's right to privacy - whilst government disrespects everyone's rights and prepares to hand over loads more dosh when it eventually loses the argument at the European Court. Following the botched "pants bombing" and Gordon Brown's commitment to do something about the menace within, there has been increasingly heated debate between those who believe that scanners are the answer, and those who believe that the added protection they give is minimal - and certainly not worth the massive incursion into civil liberties that their use will bring about. The Department of Transport has been beavering away at new guidelines supposedly designed to mitigate any sensitivities the travelling public might have. The Chairman of the EHRC, Trevor Phillips, has been writing to the Home Office raising objections to the breach of privacy he feels will inevitably follow. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201995-Compulsory-perv-scanners-upset-everyone Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:07:50 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201994-UK-Home-Office-spawns-new-unit-to-expand-internet-surveillance One acronym to rule them all The Home Office has created a new unit to oversee a massive increase in surveillance of the internet, The Register has learned, quashing suggestions the plans are on hold until after the election. The new Communications Capabilities Directorate (CCD) has been created as a structure to implement the £2bn Interception Modernisation Programme (IMP), sources said. The CCD is staffed by the same officials who have have been working on IMP since 2007, but it establishes the project on a more formal basis in the Home Office. It is not yet included on the Home Office's list of directorates. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201994-UK-Home-Office-spawns-new-unit-to-expand-internet-surveillance Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:52:52 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201927-US-Forced-H1N1-Vaccination-of-13-Year-Old-Student-Under-Investigation The San Ysidro School District is investigating how a 13-year-old middle school student received the H1N1 flu vaccination last week over her objections and against the will of her parents. Jose Gomez, 39, said he signed a form last November stating his daughter, a student at San Ysidro Middle School, was not to get a shot and reaffirmed that position to two people last week. The school provided vaccinations on Thursday. District Nurse Anita Gillchrest said she investigated the incident and has forwarded a report to Superintendent Manuel Paul, but she said she could not reveal the details. Gomez said San Ysidro Middle School officials insisted he sign a consent form even though he did not want his daughter to receive the vaccination. He said he was instructed to write "refuse" on the form and turn it in, which he did. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201927-US-Forced-H1N1-Vaccination-of-13-Year-Old-Student-Under-Investigation Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:40:40 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201923-UK-Supreme-Court-Quashes-Draconian-Powers-that-Allowed-Freezing-of-Terror-Assets Ministers' efforts to combat terrorism were dealt a fresh blow today when the UK's highest court quashed measures to freeze the assets of terror suspects imposed without the approval of Parliament. In a landmark ruling, seven justices of the Supreme Court ruled that Ministers had acted without Parliamentary authority in making two orders that placed sweeping financial restrictions on the five suspects. In a devastating critique the judges variously condemned the orders as "Draconian", "oppressive" and "paralysing": Lord Hope of Craighead, the court's Deputy President, said that those affected were "effectively prisoners of the state". He added: "Even in the face of the threat of international terrorism, the safety of the people is not the supreme law. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201923-UK-Supreme-Court-Quashes-Draconian-Powers-that-Allowed-Freezing-of-Terror-Assets Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:29:44 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201922-Pentagon-Report-Calls-for-Office-of-Strategic-Deception- The Defense Department needs to get better at lying and fooling people about its intentions. That's the conclusion from an influential Pentagon panel, the Defense Science Board (DSB), which recommends that the military and intelligence communities join in a new agency devoted to "strategic surprise/deception." Tricking battlefield opponents has been a part of war since guys started beating each other with bones and sticks. But these days, such moves are harder to pull off, the DSB notes in a January report (.pdf) first unearthed by InsideDefense.com. "In an era of ubiquitous information access, anonymous leaks and public demands for transparency, deception operations are extraordinarily difficult. Nevertheless, successful strategic deception has in the past provided the United States with significant advantages that translated into operational and tactical success. Successful deception also minimizes U.S. vulnerabilities, while simultaneously setting conditions to surprise adversaries." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201922-Pentagon-Report-Calls-for-Office-of-Strategic-Deception- Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:24:42 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201921-UK-Presenters-Quizzed-by-Terror-Police-Over-Hairdryers Kids TV hosts Anna Williamson and Jamie Rickers have said they were questioned by police under anti-terrorism powers - for carrying glittery hairdryers. The pair, who front ITV1's hit show Toonattik, were filming a skit for the programme on London's South Bank wearing combat gear and armed with children's walkie-talkies and hairdryers. Their fake fatigues aroused the suspicions of patrolling police, who stopped them and took down their particulars. Williamson, 28, said: "We were filming a strand called Dork Hunters, which is to do with one of the animations we have on the show. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/201921-UK-Presenters-Quizzed-by-Terror-Police-Over-Hairdryers Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:19:20 -0500