The emergence of local crowdsourced politicians in Australia

Excerpted from Brenton Caffin: “A glimpse of an alternative approach may have arrived courtesy of the 2013 Australian Federal Election. Tired of being taken for granted by the local MP, locals in the traditionally safe conservative seat of Indi embarked on a structured process of community ‘kitchen table’ conversations to articulate an independent account of […]

The post The emergence of local crowdsourced politicians in Australia appeared first on P2P Foundation's blog.

from P2P Foundation's blog http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/the-emergence-of-local-crowdsourced-politicians-in-australia/2014/01/08

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You Don’t Need to Learn To Code + Other Truths About the Future of Careers

The future belongs to those who work with, not against, the rising tide of technology.



from 99U http://99u.com/articles/20696/you-dont-need-to-learn-to-code-other-truths-about-the-future-of-careers

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Torture on Tape: Disturbing Video Shows U.S. Special Forces Observing Brutal Afghan Interrogation

A video just posted online by Rolling Stone shows a hogtied prisoner being whipped by Afghan security forces, as what appears to be two unidentified American military officers look on. According to investigative reporter Matthieu Aikins, the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command confirmed an ongoing investigation into the incident. Aikins says the video fits with a general pattern of recurring abuse of detainees in U.S. and Afghan custody.



from Democracy Now! http://www.democracynow.org/2013/11/7/torture_on_tape_disturbing_video_shows

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Inside the "Electronic Omnivore": New Leaks Show NSA Spying on U.N., Climate Summit, Text Messaging

As Edward Snowden seeks clemency from the United States, The New York Times has revealed new details about how the National Security Agency is spying on targets ranging from the United Nations to foreign governments to global text messages. We are joined by New York Times reporter Scott Shane, who reports that the NSA has emerged "as an electronic omnivore of staggering capabilities, eavesdropping and hacking its way around the world to strip governments and other targets of their secrets, all the while enforcing the utmost secrecy about its own operations." The Times article reveals how the NSA intercepted the talking points of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon ahead of a meeting with President Obama in April and mounted a major eavesdropping effort focused on the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali in 2007. The Times also reveals the existence of an NSA database called Dishfire that "stores years of text messages from around the world, just in case." Another NSA program called Tracfin "accumulates gigabytes of credit card purchases."



from Democracy Now! http://www.democracynow.org/2013/11/4/inside_the_electronic_omnivore_new_leaks

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Jon Bon Jovi opens Soul Kitchen, with no prices on the menu

JBJ Soul Kitchen

Our vision here at Soul Kitchen is to serve healthy, delicious, and when possible, organic meals. At the Soul Kitchen you will notice there are no prices on the menu and you might have been seated with someone you don’t know. Customers pay the minimum donation or volunteer in some way to earn a voucher for a meal.

This is one of many pay-what-you can restaurants, starting to pop up in North America. Jon Bon Jovi's celebrity status can help spread this trend.

More here: Globe and Mail

Bank of Canada head calls Occupy protests 'entirely constructive' - Globe and Mail

Bank of Canada head calls Occupy protests 'entirely constructive'

Demonstrations like the Occupy Wall Street protests, which will hit Canadian cities this weekend, are a “democratic expression of views’’ and “entirely constructive,’’ Mr. Carney said.

“It makes it more tangible, the challenges that that economy is facing, and it makes it more important to demonstrate success on issues such as financial reform,’’ he said.

A surprisingly candid statement, but indicates his frustration with how difficult financial regulatory reform is despite serious concerns.

Beauty

http://xkcd.com/877/