As people digest what the leaks mean, ripples are going out into the business community. Firms were moving towards free, American, reliable cloud-based services; now things are screeching to a halt, as they think “do we want the NSA having access to this?”
[…]
Perhaps the hardest hit is Canadian phone manufacturer RIM, who make the Blackberry phone. One of the last things going for the struggling firm was the perceived security of the Blackberry handset, and particularly the BBM instant messaging system. However, following on from the allegation last week in the Guardian that British intelligence was regularly “Penetrating the security on [G20] delegates’ BlackBerrys to monitor their messages and phone calls”, rivals to Blackberry in the secure messaging market have seen sales surge.
Well, that’s that.
Keystone XL must not create a net increase in plant food.
Thanks, America.
Ha.
I can see Senator McCain’s lips moving.
Maybe try an immigration bill that doesn’t have a 1200 page ‘ammendment’ and will enforce laws and border security before any legalization.
Everyone’s hand is out.
We’ll have to pass it to find out what’s in it, Part II.
Given the state of the US economy, scandals, employment and trust issues, you would think that some politicians would not allow themselves to be bought.
Unlike the Americans
The Germans know a bit about this: A Monitored Human Being Is Not a Free One
Well, Sure…
But can you remain morbidly obese on $4.50 a day?
New Coke: Twice in a Month
DRM + Always on Internet + Prism == Really Bad PR + Backtrack fast!
The Decline And Fall Of The American Empire
Tocqueville would not recognize America today. Indeed, so completely has associational life collapsed, and so enormously has the state grown, that he would be forced to conclude that, at some point between 1833 and 2013, France must have conquered the United States.
Sentence Of The Day
At The Gods of the Copybook Headings:
… Don’t expect higher ethical standards from political leaders than those exhibited by the electorate…
They Remember The Stasi
Berlin: 200,000 for Obama in 2008; Only 6,000 Today
The Decline And Fall Of The American Empire
Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr has submitted a proposal that would pay unsecured creditors about 10 cents on the dollar. Similar haircuts would be made to underfunded pension and health benefits for retirees. Orr is hoping that the creditors and the unions that he will be negotiating with will accept this package, but he concedes that there is still a “50-50 chance” that the city of Detroit will be forced to formally file for bankruptcy.
But what Detroit is facing is not really that unique. In fact, Detroit is a perfect example of what the future of America is going to look like. We live in a nation that is rotting, decaying, drowning in debt and racing toward insolvency. Already there are dozens of other cities across the nation that are poverty-ridden, crime-infested hellholes just like Detroit is, and hundreds of other communities are rapidly heading in that direction. So don’t look down on Detroit. They just got there before the rest of us.
h/t RFB
Uprising in Brazil
Brazil appears to be the latest nation where the people have grown fed up with their corrupt, elitist, out of touch politicians. Interesting comments, in English, from a Brazilian vlogger.
Update: More videos from Brazil here and here.
How’s That Hopey Changey Thing Working Out For Ya?
“There were just signs of unusual happenings for many months, odd behavior like the computers just turning themselves on at night and then turning themselves back off again. I was basically able to verify and obtain information from my sources on the suspicious activity and I reported it to CBS News in January because of course it included CBS equipment and systems.”
Attkisson could not speak about whether the hacking was related to her questions about Benghazi because of “legal counsel,” but she did say her work at that time was primarily on the occurrence.
It’s about control, not firearms.
Firearms safety would be the most popular class in school . . . again.
Some 2,700 teens aged 16-19 died in car crashes in 2010, the most recent year for which the federal agency’s website has figures, and 282,000 were injured. So, the nation’s schools have rightly implemented programs that teach teens to be safer drivers.
h/t, Instapundit
Why Do “Progressives” Constantly do Unprogressive Things?
Various “educators” in Nova Scotia are convinced that Mother’s Day and Father’s Day should disappear … because they may offend some children. Parents are fighting back but are far from winning the battle. Roy Green has more (podcast).
The Crash Of Socialism
The sorts of people who dig through medical journals to find some ingenious nanny state micro solution from the UK, Japan or South Africa that increased or decreased some petty statistic by some petty percentage don’t think in terms of people. They think in terms of statistics. They see people the way that Intel engineers see computer chips and they’re just trying to engineer them to get the best and most efficient performance out of them.
The modern nanny state is a diseased bastard child of Sociology, Marketing and the efficiency experts who used to roam the halls of GM and IBM back when companies still had company songs. It has an Asperger’s level of understanding of actual people, but is an incredible whiz with statistics.
The rest is here. (h/t Adrian)
Shiny Pony – Caveat Emptor
Charity asks for a refund.
Not sure if I agree with the request, but with the heat being put on Trudeau, it’s the perfect time to ask.
Via Adler.
Behind Every Leftist Facade is an Elitist Totalitarian Thug
Uh oh. CTV reporting that @thomasmulcair blew past security and stop signs this AM and asked RCMP: “Don’t you know who I am?” #cdnpoli
— Susan Delacourt (@SusanDelacourt) June 13, 2013
Progressive Game Theory
They gamed votes.
They’re gaming functions of the IRS.
They’re gaming the rules governing the EPA.
What’s left? Oh…the Justice system. (Via Ace).
Benito would be proud of the modern-day black-shirts.
I Miss W
All SDA regulars should get together for a 5-second choir and belt out, “I told you soooooooooooooooooo!!!”