Author Archive
Nicky Hager on protecting sources
Investigative journalist and author Nicky Hager was part of the Centre for Investigative Journalism’s recent Logan Symposium … Check out CIJournalism’s YouTube channel for more. Update: If you’re a journalist, don’t miss John Pilger’s blistering presentation on media vs propaganda & news ‘agenda’. An important message. Pilger’s speech notes War by media and the triumph […]
So why say it, Mr Cameron?
Very odd. See also Cory Doctorow’s article at Boingboing: ‘What David Cameron just proposed would endanger every Briton and destroy the IT industry‘
From ‘News of the World tactics’, journalists as ‘little henchmen’ to … #hypocrisy
See earlier: Teapot tape saga sputters out with withdrawal of ‘costs’ action against cameraman.
Another deceitful photoshop fail
One more in my occasional series highlighting Photoshop deceit… this time showing the unreality of distorting body images using Photoshop — i.e. bulking up Justin Bieber. via @caffiene_addict Of course, as previously noted, women generally get slimmed down …
“We love surveillance”
On the day it’s announced that Ian Fletcher is to depart from the GCSB, a few thoughts about surveillance … British PM David Cameron is already making the appropriate noises … nicely framed by John Gruber at DaringFireball.net. And, for context, here’s Mr Fletcher’s rather soothing speech to the 2014 Privacy Forum …
Alexa O’Brien, Amnesty International, testimony to Catalonia Parliament re Chelsea Manning
This testimony by Alexa O’Brien provides a good, compact ‘highlights’ package/history of the treatment whistle-blower Chelsea Manning received at the hands of the US Military judicial system. The video features her speaking with a translator (21 mins) while in the audio below (mp3 10 mins) the translator has been trimmed out. Worth paying attention to, […]
Lawmakers and ‘leaders of our community’ in action
“Pungent aroma of dickwad” — not my most eloquent criticism, but it will suffice. When they’re not busy enabling warrantless spy agency surveillance powers (under urgency) these lions of the Parliament, Peter Dunne and Jami-Lee Ross take potshots at opposition MPs as ‘muppets, cult-followers, hillbillies, bigots and racists’. How ignoble. [View the story “Conversation with […]
Peter Watts at Canada Privacy Symposium — ‘Burn the Data to the Ground’
A surprising and very interesting presentation about authoritarian surveillance — its link to fear, and being aware of hard-wired responses including dominance and anti-predator behaviours … with a side swipe at the roots of ‘religious belief’. I like Peter Watts’ approach to the topic, looking back at the powerful and another take on ‘only the […]
Dedicated to no-one in particular …
‘Cool Kids’ by Echosmith — on Jimmy Fallon’s show (Update: that Jimmy Fallon link ‘expired’, so here’s a new ‘live’ version… albeit somewhat tightly produced & cut … I really did like the Fallon show live version) ‘Official’ music video here
John Pilger on the shabby persecution of Julian Assange
I have respected John Pilger since before I trained and entered journalism in the 1980s. I respect his courage and his tenacity, his willingness to show up and tell the truth as he sees it. He’s also no fool. So, although it may not be a popular stand, in terms of some people’s interpretation of […]
She’s a hard road finding the perfect instrument to manipulate the market, son.
Another post from the Colliding Worlds department, here’s an article I just posted at the Empower Education website … Comments & discussion welcome there. – P
Leaving ‘Dirty Politics’ questions hanging. (It’s a PR strategy)
This recently published wrap of one aspect of the PR attack blog activities of Cameron Slater1 on behalf of his clients idealogical soulmates illustrates a couple of things. 1) Calls to ‘seek answers’ from corporate groups (like the Ports of Auckland, or even Auckland Council) to ‘questions raised’ will often be ignored. People and organisations under […]
Power of music
Wow, watch this. via the extraordinary, effervescent Aleks Krotoski. – P
Taylor Swift NOT entertaining misogyny, even for laughs
I saw this on Graham Norton’s show last night and was impressed with Taylor Swift’s deft ‘warning’ to comedian John Cleese … to not engage in comic misogyny – not even as a joke. Good on her. Here’s a short clip of the show. Watch as Taylor Swift considers her response to Cleese’s sexist tease. […]
Blinding Flash of the Obvious re composing encrypted emails – Avoid auto-saved drafts
I recently reviewed Edward Snowden’s instructions for setting up and using PGP/encrypted email available on Vimeo: GPG for Journalists – Windows edition | Encryption for Journalists | Anonymous 2013. It’s a good tutorial. One of the points it makes about keeping your communications secure is a very important one: Don’t compose your message (pre-encryption) in […]
