Curated Links

Innocent Americans’ Data Will Now Be Kept Five Years

Brian K. Noe · March 23, 2012 ·

Americans’ private data to be kept 5 years. [UPI.com] – Attorney General Eric Holder signed guidelines Thursday that, among other things, expand from 180 days to five years the time the National Counterterrorism Center may keep private information about Americans not suspected of having ties to terrorism, The New York Times reported.

The guidelines also will allow the center to make more copies of entire databases and study them by using complex algorithms to search for patterns indicative of a threat, intelligence officials said.

Obama Joins Attack on Postal Service

Brian K. Noe · March 22, 2012 ·

Workers face loss of more than 100,000 jobs as Obama joins attack on postal service. [WSWS] – President Barack Obama’s budget for the 2013 fiscal year calls for the destruction of tens of thousands of postal positions, as well as the elimination of Saturday mail delivery as early as January 2013.

Occupy Gearing Up

Brian K. Noe · March 19, 2012 ·

6 months in, Occupy Wall Street activists take stock of successes, gear up for spring protests. [The Washington Post] – As spring approaches, Occupy Wall Street protesters who mostly hibernated all winter are beginning to stir with plans for renewed demonstrations six months after the movement was born.

What Greece Needs: Default and Move On

Brian K. Noe · March 19, 2012 ·

What Greece Needs: Default, Democracy and an Exit from the Euro. [World | AlterNet] – The only solution for Greece remains a debtor-led default and exit from the euro-zone under the leadership of a radical democrat political movement.

Bring Back the 40-Hour Week

Brian K. Noe · March 19, 2012 ·

Want to Increase Profits & Productivity? Bring Back the 40-Hour Week. [Visions | AlterNet] – One hundred fifty years of research proves that shorter work hours actually raise productivity and profits, and overtime destroys them. So why do we still do this?

Atmospheric CO2 levels hit 800,000-year high

Brian K. Noe · March 19, 2012 ·

Atmospheric CO2 levels hit 800,000-year high: CSIRO. [Australian Broadcasting Corporation] – Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are now higher than at any time in the last 800,000 years, while the last decade in Australia was the warmest on record, CSIRO scientists say.

Big Brother’s Secret Legal Theory

Brian K. Noe · March 16, 2012 ·

I wish I could tell you more about the government’s “secret legal theory” that allows them to spy on you, but it’s – you know – a secret.

Democratic Senators Warn About Use of Patriot Act. [NYTimes.com] – WASHINGTON — For more than two years, a handful of Democrats on the Senate intelligence committee have warned that the government is secretly interpreting its surveillance powers under the Patriot Act in a way that would be alarming if the public — or even others in Congress — knew about it.

On Thursday, two of those senators — Ron Wyden of Oregon and Mark Udall of Colorado — went further. They said a top-secret intelligence operation that is based on that secret legal theory is not as crucial to national security as executive branch officials have maintained.

10 Ways to Future-Proof Your Child

Brian K. Noe · March 15, 2012 ·

10 Ways to Future-Proof Your Child. [GeekDad | Wired.com] – You can’t predict what your children will find of interest as they grow up, but there are things I can do now – today – that may be somewhat beneficial to them in the next 5 to 10 years.

New Study: Synergistic Toxicity and GMOs

Brian K. Noe · March 14, 2012 ·

Enjoy your frankenfood Bt Sweet Corn this Summer.

From a Study Conducted at the University of Caen:

…we argue that modified Bt toxins are not inert on nontarget human cells, and that they can present combined side-effects with other residues of pesticides specific to GM plants.

More BofA Fraud Alleged

Brian K. Noe · March 8, 2012 ·

Whistleblower says BofA defrauded HAMP. [Reuters] – Bank of America NA prevented homeowners from receiving mortgage-loan modifications under a federal program in order to avoid millions of dollars in losses while benefitting from financial incentives for participating in the program, according to a complaint unsealed in federal court Wednesday.