Michael B. Duff

Basically this goes to show just how futile it is to attempt blocking servers in the internet where it takes a few keystrokes to change a client. It also brings up the point of how much further the US will go in its attempt to shut up the internet and ways to bypass such seizures. An interesting analysis out of TorrentFreaks contemplates a BitTorrent based DNS which would make shutting down sites virtually impossible.

It seems the days of Wikileaks are over. The Associated Press reports that the website appears to have lost its host. The question now is who will be the next Wikileaks.

Somewhere deep inside, you knew you'd end up paying for this didn't you? Notice how quickly the conversation has gone from "bailing out Greece" to "bailing out Europe."

Churchill agreed to meet Hitler, who was going to come to see him in his hotel in Munich, and said to the intermediary: "There are a few questions you might like to put to him, which can be the basis of our discussion when we meet." Among them was the following question: "What is the sense of being against a man simply because of his birth? How can any man help how he is born?"

"Let me tell you something. You can't write like Hunter S. Thompson unless you are perfectly willing to be cremated and have your ashes blown out of a cannon, or better yet have your remains eaten by a cephalopod of some sort. And thus, when all is said and written, we are left with nothing in Griftopia but the facts in each chapter."

The 'reflexivity' de Grauwe worries about is at least in part a function of the embedded moral hazard of the implied guarantees for bondholders. So far they have been told: 'No matter how foolish the risks you have taken, there are always millions of tax cows we can and will milk on your behalf'.

When people start to doubt your ability to pay money back, it costs more to borrow it. That means more and more of your current revenue must be spend on debt interest. Expect the European Central Bank to jump in soon and start buying these with printed money, driving the rates down but decreasing the value of the Euro. The trap is slowly closing on them now.

This scene is a total deconstruction of the Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader battle, done in a way that perfectly captures the postmodern twists you get with modern roleplaying. Every roleplaying campaign in the world ends up like this. You start with carefully crafted archetypes to tell a classic story, then one smartass goes postmodern on you and refuses to play by the rules. Only this time, the NPC has gone pomo and the hero is still trying to play by the rules.

Assange is now wanted by Interpol in connection with a rape allegation. He is in an "undisclosed location." Given the world's track record at finding notorious fugitives in the last 10 years, I suspect he is the safest person in the world, as long as he's in Pakistan.

"Secrecy is a form of power. The gaze is a form of power. In a healthy democracy, ordinary citizens should have some measure of both in all aspects of their lives. The WikiLeaks cablegate helps to restore the balance between government and people."

This is actually rather poignant and disturbing, but it makes an excellent point. In most cases, medical recovery is not so much a "positive attitude" as it is just not surrendering to despair while you wait for the science to work. The "positive attitude" stuff makes it sound like you should be all fake smiles and brave faces, denying any real fear or sadness so people will think you're brave. Fuck brave.