Young Weirdos Guild

One of my buddies from twitter (@falafelshaman) designs the absolute sickest shit ever I’ve ever seen and he’s just recently starting applying his works to apparel and accessories. He’s the most sincere and humble dude too and definitely deserves all the success that is coming his way. I would absolutely love it if you took a look!

We are told “no,” we’re unimportant, we’re peripheral. “Get a degree, get a job, get a this, get a that.” And then you’re a player, you don’t want to even play in that game. You want to reclaim your mind and get it out of the hands of the cultural engineers who want to turn you into a half-baked moron consuming all this trash that’s being manufactured out of the bones of a dying world.

Terence McKenna  (via universeobserver)
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Rather than continue the debate of the loss of privacy, political and media figures are focusing on Snowden rather than the programs. You can disagree with his methods just as you can disagree with Julian Assange. However, there is an obvious effort to (like Assange) make him look unbalanced and dangerous. The story appears more complex. This is a man who gave up a $200,000 a year job and his likely freedom to reveal something that he felt the public should know about in the interest of privacy. You can disagree with his method, but few of his critics would even consider such a sacrifice for principle. Yet, the coverage this morning is largely on how to catch him and punish him.

Jonathan Turley (via theamericanbear)

Chinese Internet users back Snowden, call on government to 'protect' him

Chinese Internet users have come out in strong support of American data leaker Edward Snowden, with many calling on Hong Kong to refuse any extradition request.

When human beings are scared and feel everything is exposed to the government, we will censor ourselves from free thinking. That’s dangerous for human development.

Ai Wei Wei (via thefreelioness)
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NSA surveillance played little role in foiling terror plots, experts say

Obama administration says NSA data helped make arrests in two important cases, but critics say that simply isn’t true.

'The worst case of scientific censorship since the Catholic Church banned the works of Galileo': Scientists call for drugs to be legalised to allow proper study of their properties

thefreelioness:

The outlawing of drugs such as cannabis, MDMA and LSD amounts to the “the worst case of scientific censorship since the Catholic Church banned the works of Copernicus and Galileo”€, the former Government drugs advisor Professor David Nutt has claimed.

Professor Nutt, who was dismissed from the Home Office’s advisory council on drugs in 2009 after clashing with ministers, said that UN conventions on drugs in the 1960s and 1970s have delayed the development of “innovative treatments” for PTSD and depression by 30 years and also set back research into areas of neuroscience such as consciousness.

In a paper published today with two other scientists in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience, he said that drugs policy is being driven by “politics, not science”.

Professor Nutt left the Home Officer in 2009 after suggesting that taking MDMA ecstasy was no more dangerous than horse-riding and that alcohol and tobacco were more dangerous than many illegal drugs.

Police already abuse the immense power they have, but if everyone’s every action were being monitored, and everyone technically violates some obscure law at some time, then punishment becomes purely selective. Those in power will essentially have what they need to punish anyone they’d like, whenever they choose, as if there were no rules at all.

Even ignoring this obvious potential for new abuse, it’s also substantially closer to that dystopian reality of a world where law enforcement is 100% effective, eliminating the possibility to experience alternative ideas that might better suit us.

Why ‘I have nothing to hide’ is the wrong way to think about surveillance (via thefreelioness)

Five Atrocities Committed by the U.S. Government Against Its Own People

thefreelioness:

People are often all too quick to believe that the government always acts in our best interest. Even prominent libertarians like John Stossel are saying that we don’t need to worry about the NSA.  The government, however, has a long history of atrocities commited against the American people that makes it difficult to dismiss the threat of such a powerful entity.

Friendly reminder that not acting like a criminal doesn’t mean the government won’t treat you like one.  

3 Reasons the ‘Nothing to Hide’ Crowd Should Be Worried About Government Surveillance

stopprism:

Most people think the federal government would have no interest in them, but many discover to their horror how wrong they are.

There are many, many reasons to be concerned about the rise of the surveillance state, even if you have nothing to hide. Or rather, even if you think you have nothing to hide. For those confronted by such simplistic arguments, here are a three counterarguments that perhaps might get these people thinking about what they’re actually giving up.

1.) Everyone in America is Probably a Criminal, Really

2.) The Federal Government Has Abused its Surveillance Powers Before

3.) Government Is Made of People, and Some People Are Creepy, Petty, Incompetent, or Dangerous

Above the law: America's worst charities

thefreelioness:

They say they are helping dying children and others in need, but thousands of charities actually spend billions helping marketing executives get rich.

Among the findings:

— The 50 worst charities in America devote less than 4% of donations raised to direct cash aid. Some charities gave even less. Over a decade, one diabetes charity raised nearly $14 million and gave about $10,000 to patients. Six spent no cash at all on their cause.

— Even as they plead for financial support, operators at many of the 50 worst charities have lied to donors about where their money goes, taken multiple salaries, secretly paid themselves consulting fees or arranged fund-raising contracts with friends. One cancer charity paid a company owned by the president’s son nearly $18 million over eight years to solicit funds. A medical charity paid its biggest research grant to its president’s own for-profit company.

— Some nonprofits are little more than fronts for fund-raising companies, which bankroll their startup costs, lock them into exclusive contracts at exorbitant rates and even drive the charities into debt. Florida-based Project Cure has raised more than $65 million since 1998, but every year has wound up owing its fundraiser more than what was raised. According to its latest financial filing, the nonprofit is $3 million in debt.

— To disguise the meager amount of money that reaches those in need, charities use accounting tricks and inflate the value of donated dollar-store cast-offs - snack cakes and air fresheners - that they give to dying cancer patients and homeless veterans.

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