BC SOCIETY
Saved by @CodyyyGardner

#Assange extradition verdict is due shortly. I will be reporting on the case through a remote video link to the Old Bailey. #Assange #Assangetrial

 We can now see the dock in court 2 of the Old Bailey as we wait for #Assange to arrive. The verdict is scheduled for an hour, but may be over more quickly. #Assange #Assangetrial
Assange has been charged in the US of 17 counts under the US Espionage Act and 1 count under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. #Assange #Assangetrail
There is no public interest defence to charges under the US Espionage Act. Prosecutors have also indicated that Assange will not benefit from first amendment rights as he is not a US citizen. #Assange #Assangetrial
The case has potentially huge implications for journalists and press freedom. It could criminalise many standard journalist practices, such as gathering information from sources and protecting their identities. #Assange #Assangetrial
Former editor of the Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, told the Today Programme this morning that Assange was being charged for seeking information from former US army intelligence officer, Chelsea Manning, and protecting her identity - things that any journalist would do. #Assange
Rusbridger said: "“I think it’s a very dangerous precedent. He is an Australian citizen being prosecuted in the UK for breaching US secrecy laws." #Assange #Assangetrial
Rusbridger: "What happens the next time Pakistan or Israel comes along and says well we’ve got official secrets laws, we don’t want people to know about our nuclear weapons, and therefore you’ve got to extradite a journalist to us." #Assange #Assangetrial
Assange has arrived in court #Assange #Assangetrial
The court has refused Assange's extradition to the US on the grounds that it would be oppressive to Assange's mental health, and that he would be at high risk of suicide #Assange #Assangetrial
Judge Vanessa Baraitser found that there was a real risk that Assange would be subject to "Special Administrative Measures" - equivalent to solitary confinement - if held in the US #Assange #Assangetrial
The US intelligence service view Assange as an on going theat. Mike Pompeo, director of the CIA denounced WikiLeaks as a “not-state hostile intelligence agency” the judge said. #Assange #Assangetrial
WikiLeaks continued to publish confidential documents belonging to the CIA while at the Ecuadorian Embassy, the judge said - a reference to the Vault 7 leaks which exposed the CIA's hacking capabilities #Assange #Assangetrial
Baraister said there was a real risk that Assange would be held at ADX Florence in Colorado - a supermax prison. #Assange #Assangetrial
If Assange was subject to full "Special Administrative Measures" he would be held in isolation, contact with his family would be curtailed, and he would exercise in isolation a small room. #Assange #Assangetrial
This was recognised by all the experts that gave evidence during the the trail as detrimental to Assange's health #Assange #Assangetrial
The judge said that Assange had already adopted a strategy of hiding his suicidal thoughts from prison pscyhologists at Belmarsh prison where he is on remand. #Assange #Assangetrial
Assange has the intelligence and the determination to circumvent the suicide watch measures used in US prisons #Assange #Assangetrial
Baraister said that facing conditions of near total isolation and without the protection of suicide watch, she was satisfied that procedures in the US would not prevent his suicide. #Assange #Assangetrial
The US government told the court that it will appeal against the judgement. It has 14 days to do so. #Assange #Assangetrial
The judge rejected arguments by Assange's defence team that he could not be extradited because of political offences #Assange #Assangetrial
The UK-US extradition treaty prohibits extradition for political reasons. But Parliament took the decision to remove political offences as a barrier to extradition from the 2003 Extradition Act #Assange #Assanetrial
The judge said that Assange's activities went beyond the activities of journalists. #Assange #Assangetrial
Assange offered to use "rainbow tables" to help former US army intelligence officer Chelsea Manning crack a password in her possession. #Assange #Assangetrial
That might have assisted her to download documents from the SIPRnet, a classified US army network, in a way that could not have allowed her to hide her identity #Assange #Assangetrial
After Assange told Manning on a Jabbr chat that "curious eyes never run dry" Manning downloaded hundreds more documents #Assange #Asssangetrial
The judge said that Manning was aware that Assange had encouraged others to hack into computers. He told her, for example that he had used credentials given by a source to access a website of a Nato country [Iceland] #Assange #Assangetrial
In August 2009, Assange spoke to an audience of hackers at a hacking conference and encouraged members of the US military to disclose secret documents, the judge said.
Assange told the audience of the Chaos Computer Club conference to join the CIA and encourage them to leak information. "That took him outside any role of investigative journalism," the judge said. #Assange #Assangetrial
The judge said that Assange was open to prosecution in the UK under the Official Secrets Act 1989, had his offences occurred in the UK. #Assange #Assangetrial
This is important legally as extradition to the US requires that Assange's actions would also be offences in the UK #Assange #Assangetrial
My comment: The decision may have wider implications for press freedom however and a potentially chilling impact for investigative journalists in the UK #Assange #Assangetrial
The judge said that Assange had chosen to disclose documents that contained the unredacted names of US informants. 100 people were at risk as a result. #Assange #Assangetrial
This is in contrast to the actions of the press, the judge said, quoting a Guardian article of 17 December 2011, which criticised WikiLeaks publication of unredacted documents #Assange #Assangetrial
There is insufficient evidence that there was a decison not to prosecute Assange under the Obama adminstration. #Assange #Assangetrial
The judge went on to say there was little or no evidence of hostility by Trump to Assange. During the election campaign [of 2016] Trump praised Assage #Assange #Assangetrial
The court decided not to consider allegations currently being investigated by a court in Spain that the US spied on Assange while he was in the Ecuadorian Embassy. #Assange #Assangetrial
The judge said that David Morales [the CEO of the company accused of conducting surveillance on behalf of the US] had no opportunity to put forward alternative evidence #Assange #Assangetrial
"It would be inappropriate for the court to form a view on the basis of partial evidence," Baraitster said. #Assange #Assangetrial
The jjudge said there may have been other reasons for the US to want to put Assange under surveillance, such as concerns that Assange may be a risk to US security #Assange #AssangeTrial
The court is waiting to hear a possible application for bail from Edward Fitzgerald QC, representing Assange #Assange #Assangetrial
Report to follow shortly on @ComputerWeekly #Assange #Assangetrial
Edward Fitzgerald, QC, representing Assange will make an application for bail on Wednesday morning. #Assange #AssangeTrial
Judge Baraitser has made an order for costs to #Assange #AssangeTrial
The protection proposes to make an application to stay the order for costs #Assange #Assangetrial
Costs will now be decided on Wednesday #Assange #AssangeTrial
NUJ welcomes verdict but concerned it leaves open future threats to jouranalists

https://t.co/XANHBxmskl

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Nuddering
Nuddering
@NudderingNudnik
A long thread on how an obsessive & violent antisemite & Holocaust denier has been embraced by the international “community of the good.”

Sarah Wilkinson has a history of Holocaust denial & anti-Jewish hatred dating back (in documented examples) to around 2015.


She is a self-proclaimed British activist for “Palestinian rights” but is more accurately a far Left neo-Nazi. Her son shares the same characteristics of violence, racism & Holocaust denial.

I first documented Sarah Wilkinson’s Holocaust denial back in July 2016. I believe I was the 1st person to do so.

Since then she has produced a long trail of written hate and abuse. See here for a good summary.


Wilkinson has recently been publicly celebrated by @XRebellionUK over her latest violent action against a Jewish owned business. Despite many people calling XR’s attention to her history, XR have chosen to remain in alliance with this neo-Nazi.

Former Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP is among those who also chose to stand with Wilkinson via a tweet.

But McDonnell is not alone.

Neo-Nazi Sarah Wilkinson is supported and encouraged by thousands of those on the Left who consider themselves “anti-racists”.
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Sumon Chakrabarti
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I've been wanting to write this thread for a while. It has been inspired by hearing a common thought: why can't people just "listen"? If people just followed the rules, we wouldn't be in this mess. I think this is oversimplification of the problem with COVID: 1/

It is true, there are people who haven't been following guidelines (by definition that happened a LOT at Christmas/NYE in my region), but even before, we know transmission in private gatherings happens. 2/

These private gatherings are pictured to be big raucous parties, but in reality, even before lockdown, this is just people having dinner, watching TV, doing things we did before on a daily basis. These little ripples when added across the country make a big wave.. 3/

...and little can be done about this apart from positive messaging. You can't very well have police patrolling neighbourhoods across the country. 4/

Next thing is we keep hearing over and over and over, stay home. There are diminishing returns with this advice, but also, most people who can stay home ARE. So what's the issue? There are a HUGE # of people who can't stay home because they work in essential jobs 5/
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Breaking The Lines
Breaking The Lines
@BTLvid
We are all products of our own environments. Our environments shape our character, our personality, our habits, our identity.

The environment that Ousmane Dembélé grew up in and the environment that FC Barcelona seeks to engulf its youngsters with could not be more different.

The Great Gatsby starts with a life lesson.

"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."

Ousmane hasn’t had the advantages that La Masia youngsters have had. That’s why he’s Ousmane.

Like every La Masia youngster, Ousmane grew up with a dream: playing for Barça.

Like every youngster, he fought to stand out amid a talented group of players, the majority of which would fail to go pro.

However, his football education was the polar opposite to that of La Masia.

Ousmane did not reside in one of the most expensive academies in Europe: he lived in a low-cost public housing unit in Normandy. He did not play in the well-trimmed pitches of La Masia, he played in the concrete jungles of Évreux. These disadvantages made him the man he is today.

While street soccer encourages individuality & creative freedom, academy-based training like La Masia encourages unselfishness & teamwork.

That’s why Barça produce certain types of 20-year-olds like a factory line. It’s also why Barça spent €145m on a 20-year-old Ousmane.
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A.R. (Actually Republic) Moxon
A.R. (Actually Republi...
@JuliusGoat
Imagine if Christians actually had to live according to their Bibles.


Imagine if Christians actually sacrificed themselves for the good of those they considered their enemies, with no thought of any recompense or reward, but only to honor the essential humanity of all people.

Imagine if Christians sold all their possessions and gave it to the poor.

Imagine if they relentlessly stood up for the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner.

Imagine if they worshipped a God whose response to political power was to reject it.

Or cancelled all debt owed them?

Imagine if the primary orientation of Christians was what others needed, not what they deserved.

Imagine Christians with no interest in protecting what they had.

Imagine Christians who made room for other beliefs, and honored the truths they found there.

Imagine Christians who saved their forgiveness and mercy for others, rather than saving it for themselves.

Whose empathy went first to the abused, not the abuser.

Who didn't see tax as theft; who didn't need to control distribution of public good to the deserving.
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Pete Johnson \U0001f637 \U0001f499
Pete Johnson 😷 💙...
@pedrojuk
@danielashby @AdamWJT @Greens4HS2 @TheGreenParty @GarethDennis @XRebellionUK @Hs2RebelRebel @HS2ltd I'll bite. Let's try to keep it factual. There's a reasonable basis to some aspects of this question, that it might be possible to agree on. Then there are other, more variable, elements which depend on external factors such as transport and energy policy. /1

@AdamWJT @Greens4HS2 @TheGreenParty @GarethDennis @XRebellionUK @Hs2RebelRebel @HS2ltd First up, we know reasonably well how much energy it takes to propel a high-speed train along the HS2 route. We can translate that into effective CO2 generated by making some assumptions about how green the electricity grid is. /2

@AdamWJT @Greens4HS2 @TheGreenParty @GarethDennis @XRebellionUK @Hs2RebelRebel @HS2ltd Secondly, we have a reasonable grasp of how much CO2 is going to be generated by building HS2 - there are standard methods of working this out, based on the amount of steel, concrete, earthmoving, machine-fuelling etc required. /3

@AdamWJT @Greens4HS2 @TheGreenParty @GarethDennis @XRebellionUK @Hs2RebelRebel @HS2ltd Thirdly, we can estimate how much CO2 is generated by cutting down trees, and how much is captured by planting new trees. We can also estimate how much CO2 is needed to keep the railway running and generated by maintaining the track /4

@AdamWJT @Greens4HS2 @TheGreenParty @GarethDennis @XRebellionUK @Hs2RebelRebel @HS2ltd We know how much CO2 is saved by moving goods by freight train on the lines freed up by moving the express trains on to HS2, rather than by truck. /5
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2/ This phenomenon—I’m calling it a Sex Recession—really surprised me. It seemed improbable in the age of Tinder, digital porn, and attitudes that are generally permissive and sex-positive.

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Sri Devi Karumariamman mandir, Chennai, Tamilnadu

Sri Devi Karumariamman mandir is in Thiruverkadu, a suburb of Chennai. It is said that God Muruga came here and obtained the 'Vel' (spear) from His mother, Goddess Karumari (an avatar of Parvathi) 1/n


to fight the demon Suran and hence this place was called as 'Vel kadu' and became as Verkadu. As per legend Devi Karumariamman once disguised as a soothsayer visited Bhagwan Surya, the Sun God, to predict His future. 2/n


Not realising that the soothsayer is none other than Sakthi Matha, Surya ignored Her. Angered by his indifference, Devi Karumariamman immediately retreated. Bhagwan Surya lost His glory and the earth plunged into darkness. 3/n


Bhagwan Surya then realised His folly and pleaded forgiveness from Devi Karumariamman. In order to pacify mother Karumariamman, Suryadev said that His rays would fall on Her directly twice in a year and touch her feet. (in the month of Panguni (March- April) & during (Sep - Oct)


Mother Karumari Amman is worshipped here in two forms.A swayambu (self manifested) with only head visible above the ground and another one in a graceful sitting posture with all Parasakthi features,with four arms holding skull, sword, trishul, udukkai (damru). 5/n
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Nanganallur Anjaneya Temple
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Bhaktha Anjaneya temple at Nanganallur in Chennai is one among tallest Anjaneyar Vigraham. Here Anjaneyar blesses with relief to all illness. Vigraham is about 32 feet height made of single  stone.
Anjaneyar here is 👇


Sri Vishwaroopa Aadhivyathihara Baktha Anjaneya Swamy.

Sthala Puranam says that, this is the place where Indra Deva hit Hanuman on the cheek by his Vajrastram. Sri Raghavendra Swami and Sri Kanchi Paramacharyar were behind in building this temple. Temple is constructed to


Realize power of Anjaneyar who is seen both in Ramayana and Mahabharatha.
Vadamalai is important offering to Anjaneyar here. It is believed that vigraham contain powers to heal any disease. Shri Ramanavami is celebrated here.

Jai Sri Ram
Jai Hanuman
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Shaan Puri
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If you're a college student who wants to pay off all your loans... here's an idea for you:

It takes ~$5k to start and will make ~$30k a year of profit

It won't get you rich, it'll pay for college.

(..and will teach them more about business than they’ll learn in school)

The idea isn’t sexy. But it works:

**Plastic Moving Bin Rentals**

Everyone knows moving sucks. The worst part is being stuck with 400 cardboard boxes at the end of your move.

Instead - @benmlevy told me about Gorilla Bins. They dropoff plastic moving bins, & pickem up later.


Let’s break it down. Our goal is to pay for college (~$30k profit per year).

To do that, I think we’ll need $50k in revenue.

The avg move (a 2 bedroom apartment) is $180

To hit our goal, we need do ~5.5 moves per week

COSTS?

How many bins do we need to buy up front?

5.5 moves a week x 50 bins = you need 275 bins. Let’s round up to 300 to be safe.

Ok let’s hop over to @uline to see how much these bins cost

Bingo. Bins cost about $15 a piece.

$15 x 300 bins = $4,500 initial startup costs.

Time to beg your parents or a rich aunt to lend you money to get the biz rolling (...or just take $5k of student loan money and invest it here…)
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Michael Dearing
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An irony of facebook's situation.

Sheryl got her MBA at Harvard. One of the most famous cases (Extra Strength Tylenol) in one of the most famous classes (Business History) she took: in 1982, someone put cyanide in Extra Strength Tylenol capsules and killed 7 people in Chicago.

What do you do when someone turns your product into a weapon? When they use the system you built to harm? James Burke, CEO of J&J, was shockingly open with the public, he pulled the product and made significant packaging changes to make product safer (but not tamper-proof).

He over-shared every step along the way re investigation, redesign, stood up as both CEO and human. The reintroduction of new Extra Strength Tylenol succeeded. Burke saved the brand.

But four years later it happened again. A killer put cyanide in the capsules, this time a woman in Yonkers died. Same CEO, Burke, pulled the product again, completely changed the form factor from capsule to caplet and relaunched *again*. It worked *again*. How'd they do that?

Burke (CEO) tapped J&Js goodwill bank account w/ the public. Two big withdrawals from that bank account in four years + 8 dead bodies! But his honesty, openness, humanity (choked up about the deaths more than once), humility kept the goodwill bank balance positive the whole time.
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