Things I read today 13-11-08

Is this the end of free banking? Britons face charges to use cash machines and write cheques - Story
Canadians have been nickel and dimed by banks for decades.

Firms scan brain waves to improve ads in Japan - Story
Scanning of brainwaves for marketing. Everything is for sale, and you WILL buy something.

German economy now in recession - BBC Story
Be very afraid. With an official recession, they can play some more with the 'crisis' at hand.

Colombians riot over pyramid scam - BBC Story
Just like everywhere else but not as subtle. I like the suitcases of money and the "nothing is free in this world" comment.

Experts Say Humans Can Live to 1,000 -Some Experts Want to Prevent That - Story
Why would anyone want to live for 1000 years?
New and improved LIFE, same crap, 12 times longer. Now get back to work.

Karl Kraus, an Austrian writer, mainly satirical journalist. lived around the turn of the century 19/20

He came up with these gems:

Education is a crutch with which the foolish attack the wise to prove that they are not idiots.

on Journalists:

How is the world ruled and how do wars start? Diplomats tell lies to journalists and then believe what they read.

Journalist: a person without any ideas but with an ability to express them; a writer whose skill is improved by a deadline: the more time he has, the worse he writes.

Journalists write because they have nothing to say, and have something to say because they write.
No ideas and the ability to express them - that's a journalist.

The mission of the press is to spread culture while destroying the attention span.

To me all men are equal: there are jackasses everywhere, and I have the same contempt for them all.
When a man is treated like a beast, he says, 'After all, I'm human.' When he behaves like a beast, he says 'After all, I'm only human.'

I and my public understand each other very well: it does not hear what I say, and I don't say what it wants to hear.
Intercourse with a woman is sometimes a satisfactory substitute for masturbation. But it takes a lot of imagination to make it work.

Squeeze human nature into the straitjacket of criminal justice and crime will appear.

How Linux Can Help Reduce Poverty - Link
Information should be free.

New Bush rule 'kicks Patriot Act foes in the teeth' - Story
This is no surprise anymore. There must be action against this sort of thing.

I love when evidence is classified.


Wal-Mart `Optimistic' About Holiday Shopping Season - Bloomberg Story
And here I was worried about the Walton clan.

Obama not likely to renegotiate NAFTA, ex-diplomat says - Article
Keep telling us NAFTA is good for us. When he figures out what's at stake?

$1 million award offered to nab extortionist in data breach - NYTimes Story
But did you know this? - Shenanigans?
Sure they want the records back because of the privacy issue that it implies. wink wink, nudge nudge.

9/11 Truth


Bush defends free-market system - BBC Story
Nah, that wasn't free market failing, that was just a bunch of yahoos trying to make a quick buck. Yep yep. Moron.

Ottawa professor arrested in deadly 1980 Paris bombing - CBC Story
One of the comments - wow, fear permeates everywhere.
oooh...that's just creepy. A sociology Professor ? He would have been 26 years old 30 years ago. I hope he is innocent. The idea that guilty terrorists are hidden amongst us gives me shivers.