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From: Nabeel Rajab
STRASBOURG, France — Europe's top human rights court ruled Tuesday that the unpunished police beating of a 62-year-old man during the 2001 protests at the G-8 summit in the Italian city of Genoa amounted to torture, vindicating hundreds of protesters who claimed they were brutally abused during a police raid.
The NASUWT, the largest teachers' union in the UK, has called for the unconditional release of a teachers' trade union leader on the fourth anniversary of his imprisonment by the Bahraini authorities.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahrain police arrested prominent democracy activist Nabeel Rajab on Thursday for comments he made on his Twitter account seen as harmful to civil peace, the kingdom's interior ministry
Bahraini security forces tear-gassed and beat inmates at a prison on Tuesday while trying to quell clashes that erupted during family visits, a local human rights group said, causing some injurie...
Bahrain's female activists say women in the country face discrimination, marginalization and exclusion under the rule of Al Khalifa regime.
"Two former senior Justice Department officials are calling on their colleagues to investigate a secretive warehouse used for interrogations by Chicago polic...
The groups said they had "grave concern over the systematic targeting of prominent political activists, former members of parliament, clerics and others. The Bahraini authorities did not provide substantial evidence as to why these individuals' citizenships have been revoked."
"... Way back in 2011, when the Arab Spring began and protests spread across the country, demanding more democracy and better representation for Shiites, Obama himself pressed for change in Bahrain. In February 2011, as protesters massed in the tens of thousands at Manama's Pearl Roundabout, the president issued a statement welcoming reform plans — which, alas, were never really carried through — announced by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Obama reaffirmed that it was the U.S. position that Bahrain's stability would be ensured through "respecting the universal rights of the people of Bahrain and reforms that meet the aspirations of all Bahrainis." The king, however, answered Obama's call for reform with more repression. On March 14, he invited in troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to help put down the protests. Thousands of security forces stormed the Pearl Roundabout demonstrations on March 16, clearing the protest camp and arresting its leaders. Two days later, the Pearl Monument at the center of the roundabout, which had become an icon of the protests, was demolished, and closed the area off to the public. In the aftermath of the crackdown, Obama's tone on Bahrain noticeably toughened. The message was clear: Stability must depend on respecting the rights of the people, not on foreign troops. When the president gave a major speech on the Middle East in May 2011, he was even more critical of Bahrain and its policy of repression: "We have insisted both publicly and privately that mass arrests and brute force are at odds with the universal rights of Bahrain's citizens, and … such steps will not make legitimate calls for reform go away." Later in that speech, he said that Shiites "must never have their mosques destroyed in Bahrain," raising one of the most explosive aspects of how the Sunni government has attempted to suppress protests by the Shiite majority. In Obama's September 2011 address to the U.N. General Assembly, the tiny country got a whole paragraph. The president said that the United States "will continue to call on the government and the main opposition bloc — the Wifaq — to pursue a meaningful dialogue that brings peaceful change that is responsive to the people." He also said that reforms had been made, but that "more is required" — three words that amounted to a clear message that the monarchy was falling short. The White House was not about to let the king off the hook — and the president himself was raising the issue, not some spokesperson. What has happened since then? Not much. There has been little or no progress in Bahrain — domestic tensions have instead risen higher. Everything President Obama demanded has been refused. In June 2011, an independent commission was established to examine the events during the early months of the uprising, and in November it reported its findings to the king. Its recommendations, however, were roundly ignored: In 2012, the commission's chairman, law professor Cherif Bassiouni, delivered what George Washington University's Marc Lynch termed a "scathing critique of its failure to undertake any deeper political or social reforms." Bassiouni has given the government credit for taking a number of his recommendations — even as he laid out Manama's failings to resolve the underlying grievances of the protests. "There are very, very fundamental social and economic issues involved in the Shiite population that need to be addressed, and have not been addressed," he said in a 2014 interview. "When you have people who do not have the hope of seeing themselves as equal citizens, as having equal opportunities in a particular country, living in mostly economic underprivileged areas in high-density population areas, they explode." Others are even more critical. In May 2014, Human Rights Watch issued areport finding that, despite the king's promised reforms, "members of security forces are rarely prosecuted for unlawful killings, including in detention, and the few convictions have carried extremely light sentences." The Bahraini government has also adopted new methods to silence opposition voices. In January 2015, it stripped 72 citizens of their nationality, renderingmany of them stateless. As Amnesty International pointed out, the authorities included human rights and political activists on the same list as Bahrainis who allegedly went to fight with the Islamic State (IS). So the government of Bahrain is trying to equate peaceful protest with jihadi terrorism. While the government is painting all protesters as "terrorists" who support the Islamic State, its own policy appears to be one of promoting sectarian divisions.
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the arbitrary detention, judicial harassment and torture of Mr. Hussain Jawad, Chairman of the European-Bahraini Organisation for Human Rights (EBOHR). On February 21, 2015, Mr. Jawad appeared before the Public Prosecution for another case brought against him (see background information). He appeared to have suffered from physical and psychological torture and ill-treatment. He was allegedly beaten, threatened with death, and (...)
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
In 2014, Dr. Allah Nizar Baloch, the most respected intellectual-cum-guerrilla commander, in an interview with Tarek Fatah, a Toronto-based columnist, explained, "I am not a terrorist and we are not terrorists. We are fighting for our freedom and our struggle is based on the international law." Let us deliberate on the matter.
In a war of liberation, an occupying power always tries to present the rightful opposition to occupation as terrorism. The oppressed is presented falsely as backward, savage, terrorist and violator of human rights. And by doing so, the oppressor sets the stage in the eyes of the international community to justify occupation, oppression and atrocities carried out by the occupying power in the occupied territory. The state machinery and the wealth plundered from the subjugated people are used to conduct the overall operations in order to maintain control and prolong the unjust occupation.
Today, the Pakistani media as part of the state machinery is viciously engaged in a propaganda war against the liberation movement in the occupied Balochistan. The Pakistani state portrays Baloch freedom fighters as "miscreants – alienated Baloch – separatists – terrorists" to malign the true history of a people in struggle for rights and freedom. The case against the Baloch armed resistance as highlighted in the Pakistani press involves baseless accusations of carrying out a campaign of targeting Punjabi settlers in Balochistan. The press alleges that Baloch fighters attack innocent, non-combatant, non-Baloch civilians in Balochistan. It is understandable that Pakistani media is supporting the state; however, such allegations are totally unfounded and baseless.
Pakistan occupied Balochistan in 1948. Since then the Baloch nation has resisted the unlawful occupation with armed uprisings and political struggles that have continued to date. In all cases, Pakistan army was used to brutally crush the nationalist movement resulting in the militarization of Balochistan and complete ban on the political process. Besides military means, there are other state machineries which underpin the Pakistani rule over Balochistan.
Along with the Pakistan army, the notorious Frontier Corps (FC), Makran Constabulary, Police, Levies and intelligence agencies have established basses, check posts, and surveillance networks in the universities, towns, tribal areas, sea ports, and energy-sensitive installations such as Sui in the Bugti area. Testing of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and WMDs in Chaghai area is part of the grand design to control, exploit and suppress the local populace in the province.
The already precarious situation in Balochistan has been further complicated by the state-sponsored use of religious card against Baloch nationalists. A number of proxy organizations and non-state actors are now actively involved in the targeted killings and enforced disappearances of Baloch leaders, intellectuals, students, and commoners.
Pakistani state-sponsored Talibanization is part of the counterinsurgency measures to contain the rising Baloch nationalism. It has led to the creation of militant jihadi outfits backed by the state now involved in secretive operations along with the FC and the army in Balochistan. Nifaz-e-Amn-e-Balochistan, Sipah-e-Shuhda-e-Balochistan, and Balochistan Musallah Difaei Tanzeem are a few examples of the ISI-founded groups targeting the Baloch resistance in addition to the ISIS chapter in Balochistan who call themselves the Lashkar-e-Khorasan. These organizations operate openly at the behest of the Pakistani army and intelligence agencies and have openly claimed killing of Baloch activists. They publicly circulate their literature, do wall chalking, and terrorize local residents. They have issued religious fatwas (decrees) against Baloch secular organizations, Zikis, and writers, intellectuals, target-killed educationists, forcefully shut down girl's schools, and attacked women with acid on their faces. They are also responsible for carrying out genocide of Shia Hazaras and Baloch Zikri Community in Balochistan. Baloch freedom fighters have always countered such forces. However, ISIS presence in the region can change the scene forever in favor of Islamist terrorists if international community does not help Baloch organizations to resist their notorious agendas.
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
Human Rights Watch has accused the government of Sudan of using banned cluster bombs on civilian areas in the southern part of the country.
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
(Washington, DC) – Human Rights Watch filed suit on April 7, 2015, against the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for illegally collecting records of the organization's telephone calls to foreign countries.
The DEA disclosed the existence of its mass surveillance program in January 2015, after a federal judge ordered the government to disclose more information about the program. The agency made the disclosure in a criminal case against a man accused of violating export restrictions on goods to Iran.
"At Human Rights Watch we work with people who are sometimes in life or death situations, where speaking out can make them a target," said Dinah PoKempner, general counsel at Human Rights Watch. "Whom we communicate with and when is often extraordinarily sensitive – and it's information that we wouldn't turn over to the government lightly."
Human Rights Watch is represented by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which has filed a series of legal challenges against unconstitutional government surveillance.
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
Bahrain's Interior Ministry revoked Dr. Masaud Jahromi's citizenship without notice or opportunity to respond, on grounds of "terrorist activities" or "advocating regime change through illegal means." OUR PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES The Jahromi Archive Jahromi, Chair of the Ahlia University's Computer Science Department, has never participated in either of these. CCS wrote protesting such arbitrary denial of his basic human right to his nationality and deplored Jahromi being associated with known terro
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
It's an obvious analogy: There is a minority (mostly Sunni) elite ruling over a (mostly Shia) majority. The last few years have seen systematic discrimination, a repression of fundamental rights, and torture and deaths in custody. People aren't divid...
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
Secretary General, Excellencies, dear friends,
It is a great honour for me to be standing here today. To be here in Egypt, in Cairo, in this building - the House of Arabs, is special. Egypt has always played an indispensable political, economic and cultural role in the region. And it is here that the Arab world, Africa and Europe meet.....
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
The suit filed in federal court in Maryland accuses the NSA of scooping up virtually everything sent via the Internet between Americans and people outside the United States, and then scouring it to identify and monitor foreign intelligence targets.
A similar challenge was turned away by the U.S. Supreme Court, which said the plaintiffs couldn't prove they'd been harmed. This lawsuit says that's changed since the government confirmed the surveillance after its scope and details were leaked by former government contractor Edward Snowden in 2013.
This "upstream" surveillance of the Internet's "backbone" of digital networks reaches far beyond any individuals the government is targeting to combat terror attacks, and violates constitutional protections of free speech and privacy, the plaintiffs say.
ACLU staff attorney Patrick Toomey said Tuesday that Snowden's leaks changed the whole legal paradigm.
"We believe the Snowden disclosures will make an immense difference in how this case will play out," Toomey said. "Prior to Snowden, the public had never heard of upstream surveillance. But based on those disclosures and what the government has acknowledged itself, we know the government isn't just surveilling its targets, its surveilling everyone."
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the judicial harassment of Mr. Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), FIDH Deputy Secretary General and a member of the Advisory Committee of Human Rights Watch's Middle East Division.URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY New Information BHR 001 / 0812 / OBS 048.14 Judicial harassment Bahrain March 5, 2015The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the (...)
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
An activist says the silence of the international community on the atrocities of the Bahraini regime has emboldened it.
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
....Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says that "everyone has the right to a nationality," and "no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality....."
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
Al-Wefaq Urges Int'l Community to Save Bahrain, Work for Sheikh Salman Release
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
Bahraini forces attack protesters during the funeral ceremony for one of the victims of the regime's crackdown.
Scooped by Spencer Haskins |
By Michelle Nichols and Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS, Feb 11 (Reuters) - A U.S.-based human rights group on Wednesday accused Sudanese soldiers of raping at least 221 women and girls in Sudan's Darfur region late last year after...


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"And the web wept." Many are still weeping for their loss. Aaron Swartz was an example of Good and Great.
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"And the web wept." Many are still weeping for their loss. Aaron Swartz was an example of Good and Great.
"He thought it unfair that the Library's catalogue division charged hefty fees to provide this information, which, being the work of the government, had no copyright protection within the United States."
Notice the operative words "He thought". I never voted for Mr. Schwartz, nor appointed him my guardian, nor has he have - or had - any legal, let alone moral right to decide what is "unfair."
This gushing of tears over a tragic death - any suicide is tragic - is the result of twisted logic and confused ethics.
I assume as a true measure of sympathy The Economist will allow free access to all of the information it has built up over the past century or so.
Or is that unethical, let alone illegal?
Actually the Economist, the NYT, the B oston Globe and other apologists for Swartz should stop charging for online access to what they publish. But then again, we have always known that leftists are inconsistent hypocrites.
The Economist is a private enterprise. The government is not. The fruits of taxpayers monies should not be hidden behind a paywall.
The Library of Congress maintains no copyright over the material in question, and Mr Swartz (and later others) have redistributed it without retribution nor penalty as there is none. The Library's data distribution division was set up long before the internet when it delivered computer tapes for mainframes and such. Many believe the fees charged for cost-recovery are peculiar, as the data is generated by another part of the budget and already paid for. Since this item was about Mr Swartz, those other opinions weren't cited.
Get real dude. The difference in charging money for information in the name of business and education is night and day.
What a ridiculous statement.
As if the Library of Congress penned all those books.
It's amazing to me that you can't spot the difference.
To be clear, the information in question was bibliographic data such as author, page count, format and so forth, not the contents of books, which the Library of Congress does not distribute.
Orsolino, pay attention - he did not make the book content public, only bibliographic information!!! It is the catalog division providing catalog!
Oh yes, the LEFTISTS ALWAYS or LIBERALS ALL or DEMOCRATS ONLY pile of vile argument, the song of the truly desperate greedy right winger. Here's one for you: Taxpayer supported university vs private media company.....a concept ALL TEA BAGGERS, RIGHT WINGERS, REPUBLICANS, RICH PEOPLE are too greedy to understand. But then again, WE have ALWAYS known that ALL TEA BAGGERS, RIGHT WINGERS, REPUBLICANS, RICH PEOPLE are immoral, dishonest hypocrites. How does that sound, does that sound about right along the lines of your screed? Yeah, it does.
I wonder why we have to pay for the online access to "The Economist" !! We need people like Aaron Swartz to hack "The Economist" site!
Generating all that content takes money. It has to come from somewhere. If you don't pay (either for straight on-line access, or for a hard-copy subscription which includes on-line access), all that means is that someone else is paying to give you a free ride. Please provide a rationale for why you should get that free ride.
The same rationale-- whatever it is-- that Swartz and all his supporters believe justified his hacking and should force all the publishers of the stuff they want access to to make it available on the web for nothing. How about what is good for the goose is good for the gander?
Except that academics are already getting paid by their universities for their work. And get nothing for the articles that they submit to journals. Whereas the writers for the Economist do get paid explicitly for the work that they submit which is published here.
The academics could publish their work on the Internet for free, and see no change in their income. The folks who write here would see their income disappear. Seems like a significant difference.
You really think the universities would fund their profs research if the university would have no ability to recover something from the fruits of that research? Go work for a university sometime and find out how it really works. (Of course that is not the case with students who develop something new while attending a university-- cf. the Facebook duo) But then they did something original beyond stealing and distributing already copyrights works.
Universities don't get anything from the publication in academic journals either. To the extent that they profit from their professors' research, it is in licensing the implementation of that research in industry.
Actually academics that publish in unapreciated magazines do see their income change, as they probably wont be able to continue researching because their funding will be cut due to lack of recognition. The point in publishing in these moneygrabbing magazines is to add a public validation of the work done.
But which magazines "count" for validation is subject to change. Today some (Physical Review Letters comes to mind) are on-line, where a few decades ago, everything was on paper and mailed (mostly to university libraries). So there is no obvious reason why another peer-reviewed forum could not arise. One which is cloud-based, and therefore dirt cheap (as in pennies).
"Publication" has been a cheap way for universities to decide which of their faculty are doing important (or even just lots of) work. But since they are the main beneficiaries, shouldn't they be the ones subsidizing it? If that is the best way they can figure out to rate their staff, it would be pretty cheap for several of them to band together to host a few journals; probably less than what their libraries now pay for journal subscriptions.
The "benefit" to the authors is mostly a by-product of current university salary practices. Change those, and the authors will still publish their work, and still not get paid for it in any direct way, without restricting access for everybody else.
but the academics are in many (if not most) cases receiving federal, state or international grants to actually conduct their research, which is already paid for by the citizens through taxes.
All the more reason not to have the results published primarily in journals, where it is only available to the public at high prices.
Around 10% of NIH grant proposals are funded today, and I believe it is a smaller number for NSF. Until a PI wins a Nobel prize, review committees don't care how magnanimous someone is--only about the number of publications in esteemed journals during the previous funding period. No publications = no funding = no job. Thankfully the NIH requires all published research funded by them is made available to the public after a certain period, which seems like a fair trade to me. The people paid to conduct the research already, why should you pay exorbitant fees to access it?
In other words, trendsetters who seek to selflessly enhance dissemination of the acumen of human knowledge by publishing in more public forums are destined for the unemployment line.
"Whereas the writers for the Economist do get paid EXPLICITLY for the work that they submit which is published here."
Academic are not paid by cash because being published is more important reward/payment than cash. Their academic job, funding, and more importantly, prestige depends on being published.
It's like Terrestrial TV program. It is paid for by sponsors who benefit from exposure. University is funded by grant and fees. That depends on how many good researchers and academic they have. And the eco system of academic journals provide that metric. Someone how to pay for such service.
Why do you assume that their income would disappear? First off, copyright holders are at a distinct advantage in that they usually require payment prior to viewing, so you may get an awesome novel or a pile of drivel. Markets fail to work when information is so one sided, so it is natural that consumers would attempt to even out the access of information. Let us not forget that copyright law has become welfare for the rich: do we really need Lisa Marie torturing the world with bad music from income she did not earn from songs she did not write or perform often created by minority artists who Elvis extracted 50% royalties from and who were unable to get legal representation because they were in the South at the time? Interestingly Charles Dicken's copyrights were unenforced in the US but he still managed to rake in the cash from public performances because his material was more widely read because he did not have a totalitarian monopoly on what cannot be stopped.
How sad that we live in a country where a non-violent genius can be prosecuted for copying - not stealing - copying that which cannot be contained while rapists get excuses from politicians and their victims get blamed by judges.
Academics are paid because they publish in top, peer-reviewed journals, at which point, copyrights are transferred to the journal.
Without the peer-review process, there would be no validation process for research to undergo and any "research" published without review would merely constitute a "blog", hardly enough to warrant continued employment by a university.
Today when more Patents are issued by Lawyers who subsegment the legalese and try to make ten patents out of what should be a single patent.
Lawyers who research patent law more intensively than inventors, so they can look for loopholes and hidden fortune. And they patent their own loopholes as if they were Edison himself.
Lawyers who practice "Creative Lawyering" and call it innovation. For instance one lawyer thought he could patent the "double clicking of a mouse to purchase a web item" five years ago.
And Lawyers are now killing the young gifted Innovators who actually invent things.
And they press nonsense lawsuits at the drop of hat.
And they charge you millions to defend your claim otherwise--in their home court.
=> Then Technological Innovation and the whole Patent System is DEAD.
I thought we are talking about "copyrights" not patents. And I really don't think you would like the consequences of no patent enforceability. Noone would spend money to develop new drugs, medical treatments, vaccines, etc. etc. etc. Imagine spending hundreds of millions with no prospect of ever recovering any of it. Also who would invent a better, faster computer if he or it wouldn't get anything out of it? The same principle as to software: Imagine Facebook making its software available to anyone who wants to set up a competing social network. I guess it is just that all the stuff young impoverished leftists and their supposedly adult enablers (like the NYT, the Economist, et al.) want should be free (you want free pot also). but stuff they create on their own and can make money from should be protected. Never found a leftist who was consistent.
there is a vast difference between rounded-corners on a cellphone and a multi-man-year software project.
Yes, people want to get something out of their work.
Your mistake is thinking that the only way to do it is by protecting access to material with all your might.
The Economist is giving its computing resources for your comment for free and also allowing access to some material.
Sometimes, open access can lead to greater returns. Things are not as simple or straightforward as you would like to assume.
Never found any human, left or right, that is consistent. It's human to contradict oneself.
I pay for my subscription to the Economist, don't you?
Doesn't address anything I say at all. Don't evade the points.
Believe it or not people do things for reasons other than profit. You can ask a teacher or fireman whether he does his job for the benjamins. If he were alive, you could ask Aaron Schwarz.
Why did Federal prosecutors deem it necessary to go after a man who had committed an act equivalent to "checking out too many library books"?
What enabled the RIAA to go after grandmothers, single mothers and teenagers over music?
Having studied the methods of the RIAA, why are lawyers purporting to represent pornographers now extorting money from hapless victims who have never downloaded anything, but do not wish their names associated with sleaze?
Copyright has made an ass of the law. Copyright has become copywrong.
I hope the last desperate act of Aaron Schwartz speeds the reform of copyright, but I hold no illusions.
well, he didn't just borrow library books, did he. If one is to use book analogy, what he tried to do was equivalent to illegally gaining admin access to amazon.com from the amazon headquarter, download entire digital book on sale, then release it for free.
Given the scale of money involved in term of JSTOR access fees, that is serious act of copyright violation.
But it wasn't Amazon and who exactly assesses the value of the copyrighted material? The copyright holder? Yeah, that is hilarious. Have you read the crap that gets published lately? Have you seen the prices on text books?
the JSTOR, and in turn, the owners of academic journals, because they are the one who set price for access online and the price of individual journals.
It is like saying who assesses the value of the copyrighted material in Netflix. Have you seen the crap that gets released in Netflix lately? Have you seen the prices of Blue ray?
While it is tragic that a kid committed suicide and he certainly did not deserve 30 years in jail, he certainly committed a crime of significant financial magnitude.
maybe the next swartz will take a different tact and horde some of the money he could gain to defend themselves against an this kind of behavior from the state. and i'm not just talking about legal defense, but a public awareness campaign to prevent an individual from going to jail for such an act. something similar to the chinese guanxi, although i don't pretend to be an expert on that subject. i think if there was enough light shed on this situation, enough pressure put in the right places, the charges could have been dropped. he could've been made too big to prosecute, too, just like the megabanks.
Why do we have public prosecutors in the first place, effectively their job is to lock up as many of their fellow countrymen as possible?
Partially - so that we have to put fewer people in the ground (before their time) or have them move to the poor house due to their property being stolen.
Apparently, yes. The U.S. criminal justice system has degenerated into something Stalinesque. As Lavrentiy Beriya said, "Show me the man, and I'll show you the crime."
R.I.P Aaron. A wonderful warm full of wit, intelligence, passion, determination, and courage. It is not often you meet people like this. Aaron was a bright star during dark times - a true freedom fighter with a huge heart. -- My video interview with him: http://youtu.be/JUt5gjqNI1w
I never heard of Aaron Swartz until his death, but the very fact that a person could be sentenced to 35 years in prison for copying a bunch of academic journals, when the typical sentence for murder is half that, tells me all I need to know about how our government weighs the rights of individuals compared to the rights of industry. And yes, academia is an industry.
A murderer 'could' be sentenced to death in many places, and 'life-without' everywhere. As you say, the actual punishment for 1st-degree is typically less than the max - same prevails in cases of this lad's type. He was going to have to do some (short and easy) time - larceny, hacking, conspiracy and wire-fraud shouldn't be risk-free. No lawyer ever advised him that was looking at 35-years 'actual' - bet on that.
People don't get to write their own laws, or select which they will deign to obey - unless they're Corzine or HSBC or big-time Street-rabbis, but they're a special class of people. For everyone else -
'If you can't do the time, ....'
You're right that he probably would not have been sentenced to 35 years in prison. Perhaps his lawyer told him that he would likely only do a few years of "easy" time and be fined in an amount roughly equal to his net worth. It's still a daunting prospect and something that could easily push a sensitive young man over the edge.
I hesitate to repeat myself, but my main point here is that the potentially draconian criminal sentence for a rather nebulous crime against a corporation, which said corporation had already resolved to its civil satisfaction, tells me how the federal government regards the relative value of individual rights and corporate rights.
IDK, DS - but I doubt he was looking at "a few years" inside - I'll wager 10 style-points that it was like 18-months, max - and with a long probation tail and a zillion hours of comm service - and a promise to do no more computer-B&E stuff - and it's that last one that was the problem.
This boy had a history of this kind of thing and for each prior he was given a 'talking-to' and nothing else, and it did no good - each episode was more flagrant than the last. He appears to have been determined to continue, restrained only by HIS PERSONAL sense of what was right and what wasn't.
He was defiant, unrepentant and 'a law unto himself'. The legal system doesn't respond kindly to folks like that.
D. Sherman, I agree. "No harm, no foul" would seem to apply here.
We seem to have quite a few people running around these days who think their contributions or fame give them license to break the law and decide what's moral and right for everyone else.
I suppose being above the law is only bad these days if you're either wealthy or a politician.
There are those who see a wrong, and move to right it. And then there are those who see a wrong, and, having neither the courage nor aptitude to right it, instead slink away and hide behind the crumbling bastion of the status quo.
I think the great weakness of this intelligent bright young man is his lack of political wit. He has a good ideal and raw talent and skill, but he needs to understand the world is full of sin, and power and cunningness are needed to win. There may be a better way to achieve what he wanted to do without directly conflicting with law enforcement - which them (law enforcement) has a job to do... (kind of reminds me Les Misérables... laugh); well may be there were no better way, otherwise we would not have loved Les Misérables or think Che was a hero.
Really it is a pity that he has left us.
So those 55 million Americans -- I dare say more than as very involved with this copyright issue-- who would see a "wrong" in effectively ignoring the Second Amendment by making gun ownership illegal and confiscating folks guns without fair compensation, should have the courage (many supposedly surely have the aptitude) to "right it" by engaging in the very kind of criminal activity the "unjust" law is intended to prevent-- using their guns to commit suicide as an act of protest (one of the leading types of gun deaths might become THE leading type of gun death easily prevented in the future by legalizing guns) or to kill others. In either case, your comment is drivel insofar as it supports the view that illegal activity is the way to right a wrong. It's the same rationale as the anarchists who placed a bomb in Wall Street in the 20's, the Weathermen, etc. etc. etc. It is a far cry from the kind of "law-breaking" peaceful protests led by MLK that were designed NOT to infringe on anyone else's property or other legally "protected rights, but involved efforts to use "rights" to use property open to the "public" available to all others except people of color. And then the whole point was to stay peaceful in spite of being beaten, accept the "punishment of an immoral legal system until the rest of the country was sufficiently shamed to see that the law got changed. If The Civil Rights movement had been led by those who advocated violating the property rights of Whites (Stokley Carmichael and his bunch) the same result might ultimately have obtained, but with a much more extensive loss of life and property.
Hold on, did you just parallel open-sourcing material, which defies what even the Economist calls archaic and uneffecive IP laws, with setting up bombs and cult suicide, which defies not only the law but basic human decency?
You know what, I'm actually quite glad that some people don't have the courage to stand up the law, since they lack the common sense and basic moral judgement to distinguish between right and wrong without the guidance of the (human-created and imperfect) law, as you seem unable to do.
People who see a wrong and move to right it accept and embrace the consequences of their actions.
I am so sorry about the brilliant guy Aaron. He has great talent in computer science. What he did is really good to people who have no access to the fee library, but it reduces the profits of the libraries. He became a sacrifice in the process of pursuing free exchange of information. It's a great pity.
Major Depression and Bipolar illness have a high cost: Suicide.
40% of the population has a diagnosable mental illness.
And the normal 60% are afflicted by association.
I fully anticipated this comment.
America is obsessed with diagnosing mental illness. Americans also have the worst mental health in the world. Perhaps they are related.
Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges.
One can only speculate as to how the hacker community will respond to those who pursued, and according to Mr. Swartz's family, bullied this very young man, who seems to have harmed no one whatsoever by what seems no more than a prank, whatever the minefield of "laws" which America had cooked up with its endless churning of legislation.
Very bright, perceptive and creative people are often highly sensitive. Human sensitivity is an important enabling quality for the contributions such individuals make to the world. One flip-side to sensitivity is often proneness to depression when attacked by others. The biological circuit involved is simple -- stress hormones called glucocorticoids tear away at sensitive neurological structures, thereby causing enormous and searing pain to such individuals, who may often escape that pain through suicide.
Prosecutors who use their most aggressive legal weapons against such individuals, should be put on notice as to their own moral culpability for the damage which they can and do cause through such approaches. Aggressively wielding laws which are technically applicable, but which may be without moral merit in their application to a specific case, does not seem a wise or good use of society's scarce resources.
this is not only a sharp sensitive analysis but, in a sense, deep, empathetic tribute to a bright young man who deeply believed in doing his bit in making our world a better place, now and future. We, the majority, of the world wasn't quite ready for him, as we must all admit we could give him the strength, in spite of all the connectivity we had had with him. Similarly, when will the world be ready to think along this angle of analysis: when touching sensitive persons, do we handle them sensitively enough in education, in work, etc;. Perhaps, the greatest tribute to Aaron would be open our minds to this aspect in fellow human beings?
** brushes tears from cheek **
"Very bright, perceptive and creative people ... (the) highly sensitive" deserve to be recognized as such -
'Too Emo-Cool To Prosecute'
I doubt any penalty at all will be applied to his persecutors. This is the flipside of the American legalistic approach.
You seem to miss the point, which is about the neurobiological underpinnings of different cognitive-types of people.
For example, as to people who are bullies -- perhaps you know at least one bully -- one quickly discovers that the flip-side of most bullies is cowardice. So entertaining to observe the tearful squirming and self-pity exuded by a bully in one's employ when he is called out and faced with personal consequences for his actions. Bullies can be caused to self-destruct simply by toppling them from the intimidation hierarchies which they typically construct in their social and work environments. Neurobiologically, it has been demonstrated that many bullies -- and clinical psychopaths -- get an effective "rush", much like a runner's high out of inflicting harm on others. One can only speculate as to what professions such individuals might be drawn to in a country like America.
One is reminded of a Harvard psych professor who declared that there had never been a great poet in the Western world who was not a clinical depressive. Perceptiveness, likely grounded in high sensitivity, was the indicated cognitive trait which delivered great poetry on the upside, and suicidality on the downside.
America is a country with far too many laws -- more Federal laws than your American Bar Association can even count by their own report. You might also find this article in the Economist to shed useful light on that subject: http://www.economist.com/node/16636027
Not only did I miss the prior point, I missed the last one too; unless it's -
'Too Poetic To Prosecute'
You were also offered a mirror MrRFox. Perhaps you should look into it.
At my age I avoid mirrors at every opportunity.
If you're suggesting that the pursuit of justice is inherently 'bullying' - well, IDTS, but maybe it is. So what? Prosecutors don't convict people - juries do.
The kid was about to become a national celebrity, in the 'Robin Hood' style - an heroic figure (with his choice of chicks). He was never looking at serious time, and his lawyers told him so - and they're free to tell us about that if they wish, but they won't; that wouldn't fit with the persecution-narrative that's being spun.
There are people who are being bullied by the Feds - Manning and Assange particularly. Swartz' situation was orders of magnitude less serious than theirs. These events strongly suggest that there was more going on with this sad boy than his legal problems.
You are incorrect. His lawyer has spoken openly about the plea bargain offered.
This kid illegally downloaded several million articles written by hardworking academics. Last time I checked it costs $6.15 to get a copy of an HBR article.I hardly agree with you that he harmed no one. What if next time he breaks into government's website and download several million files? or your e-mail box and reply mails on your behalf?
With all this being said, I agree this young guy shall not respond to the situation with suicide.If he was any more political savvy, he should understand some of the lawyers feed on mistakes made by people like him.
Well - is it a 'state secret'? - how about a link? I, for one, really do want to see what was offered and what was counter-offered.
He and his lawyers had to do something to piss the prosecutors off enough for them to up the charges from 4 felonies to 13. What the hell happened?
The government filed to dismiss the suit today so I don't what details then become public record, including plea negotiations, or if it's all sealed as it didn't go to trial.
The WSJ reported yesterday on the intricacies of plea negotiations. Please note, these are unconfirmed details provided by Mr Swartz's attorney, and the deal was never formalized so prosecutors could have been using this as a tool. The offer was of a few months in prison in exchange for a plea.
There is no penalty to prosecutors to add charges, so long as it has justification, and with computer crime statutes, it is easy to take an incident and create charges for ranges of dates, certain files, additional acts, and so forth.
Given that the prosecutors would have accepted a few months rather than, say, 35 to 50 years, in exchange for a "gotcha", that should inform readers about the confidence they had in the case.
When I first saw this news yesterday I had exactly the same thoughts as you and most other readers--empathy Aaron for he was smart and innocent. However today as I open Forbes.com., The "Forbes Thought Of The Day" caught my eye, " Popular opinion is the greatest lie in the world. " — Thomas Carlyle. While I browse through comments here, I figured that those who empathized him didn't know Aaron and his kind has a high probability of going this way.
For example, as to people who are geeks/nerds -- perhaps you know at least one nerd (maybe less good-looking than Aaron), one quickly discovers that the flip-side of most geeks is naivety. They are immersed in their little specialty world almost their entire world.Therefore they see the world as beautiful as it is, disregarding all the hazards out there. You can run a test on the nerd you know, insult his mother. And you would see what self-destruction is.
Maybe it's not the legal system's fault? Maybe it's the education system's fault? Because there are wicked men in this world who would induce people like Aaron to self-destruction, and you just cannot eliminate them.Instead you should teach Aarons that how to defend themselves from these people. What Aarons should receive in the education system is at least three courses in Politics, instead of useless bullshit like "--- Management" (which is obviously a real-world only experience). If Aaron understands why people he don't know attack him for these people's own good, he would not suicide. And he may contribute more to this society for he had such a gift.
Well, it's just sad to come to terms with a young man of this lad's talent taking his life over a "few months" of easy time - not like he'd be in medium-security or anything like that. Be careful not to presume an offer of such a light sentence reflects a weak case - could just as easily be a willingness to go easy on a troubled kid without being seen by the accused or anyone else as letting him get away (again) with multiple felonies.
I'll try to find what I can online, but WSJ is paywalled (God bless TE). His attorneys had to know what a fragile flower they had on their hands - don't believe them if they say they didn't. If those lawyers recommended to the boy that he reject the plea and take his chances at trial, well ....
"Aggressively wielding laws which are technically applicable, but which may be without moral merit in their application to a specific case, does not seem a wise or good use of society's scarce resources."
Agreed, but the over-riding motivation in this case (and others -- Nifong and the 'Duke LaCrosse Case' come to mind -- is advancement of the profile, hence career, of the prosecutors.
I'm sure that the censors and fee-collectors are proud of their work.
It is time for all-out war.
If this will work as our 'Tonkin Gulf Moment' - I'm all for that. Gotta be careful though to not look too closely at the merits, just like with the real Tonkin Gulf thing.
I didn't know he was a co-creator of RSS. What an incredible contribution he made to the internet. He will live on as a legend in cyberspace.
And how fitting that the Economist used a Creative Commons-licensed photo (with the proper credit, as required by that particular license).
On RSS: Mr Swartz was a co-creator of a revision to RSS (as we note), version 1.0, which is mostly unrelated to the most widely adopted versions (originally 0.91 and 0.92 and later 2.0), which Dave Winer (the chief of Userland, a software company) adapted and extended from earlier work by Netscape and before that, by others. RSS 1.0 is still in use, but Atom and RSS 2.0 (which isn't a successor to 1.0, but 0.92) have the greatest "share" of syndication, and 1.0 hasn't received updates in many years.
I don't weep for the self-important oaf. The last thing we need is people who decide that they know they way things should be regardless of laws. No one voted for him - it was delusions of grandeur that motivated him.
I've decided that 'all property is theft,' so I'll be visiting Babbage's house to expropriate the expropriator. Don't worry - I'll give it all away - I'm pure of heart.
Inspector Javert I presume?
So this invalidates all his other contributions?
And a death is a death. But I suppose you think it's fine to stick the knife in at after one.
No, just your bog-standard troll. And not a very good one at that, particularly as measured against the local standard.
When you create and contribute to society a hundredth of what Aaron Swartz did you do get the honor of opining what is wrong with society. To call him a self-important oaf who had delusions of grandeur motivating him - what would you call Gandhi, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela ...
"...it was delusions of grandeur that motivated him."
Unlike, uh, the prosecutors, eh?
Economist, while it's great that you're honoring him after he's dead, wouldn't the better time to salute his achievements and decry the overzealous prosecution be... sometime in the last year and a half i.e. after his arrest but before his suicide?
Had he lived, would the Economist have waited until after he was in prison to decry the injustice? Or would the Economist have said anything at all.
The true travesty is that he had to kill himself before anyone would bother to pay attention to a one and a half year legal process.
It's a good article but a search of "Aaron Swartz" in the Economist archive brings up nothing but the current article. There should have been something before.
He deserved the prosecution. He deserved to sit in a cell and think about what he had done.
JSTOR had no prohibition against unlimited downloading for people with accounts at the time. The trespassing charge was dropped: the wiring closet he used also housed a homeless man's possessions and was unlocked.
JSTOR was satisfied with its resolution with Mr Swartz in June 2011 before any indictments were made, and says it had no interest in encouraging prosecutors further. MIT never made its intentions clear, but its only interest would have been trespassing and its network operations; the former charge was dropped and the latter issue seemingly never part of the formal charges.
It is difficult to see what party or interest is harmed in a matter in which the primary party says its interests have already been served.
Boy, you seem to have some mental illness of your own.
The way to handle it is to seek competent mental health experts, not bitch about dead people and be jealous of dead folks.
You need to see someone about this hate-filled bitterness you are overcome by. Very scary.
What idiots, what moral scums, I don't care if they were "legally correct", to prosecute a benefactor of all humankind of this proportion. What sin did he commit? Did he get rich and have 5 mansions, 4 fast cars, 3 yachts, 2 mistresses and 1 wife? Shouldn't knowledge be free for all who seek it in the first place? Who were these scums? We weep. Another best suicided. Why?
I've been thinking about his death all weekend. What a loss. And prosecuting someone for downloading scholarly articles while banks are too big to prosecute for actual crimes? Sometimes this world makes no sense.
So no one should be charge with any crime anywhere because the banks...? Try an adult argument next time.
The argument is that those who prosecute should allocate their resources to prosecute those who commit the worst crimes, instead of those who commit lesser crimes. Obviously, eventually all of them should be prosecuted-- but often, due to limited resources or political pressure from powerful criminals, this simply does not happen.
govts hav no clue abt dealing with "genius outlaws";they shud learn how to utilise them in a productive manner.
Many of those scholarly articles were subject to copyright. At the very least it was stealing.
This is not to say the banks didn't commit a crime too.
When charges are bundled to create an excess fine or custodial sentence for the purpose of gaining a favorable plea-bargain does the DA inflict a cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the 8th Amendment?
When charges are bundled to create an excess fine or custodial sentence for the purpose of gaining a favorable plea-bargain does the DA inflict a cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the 8th Amendment?
Sadly the world does make sense - it's just that the answers are all very troubling.
more often than not
I know, Swartz was all about public access to government. If they had been smart, the federal government should have tried to hire him to initiate some Gov2.0 projects. He was intelligent, talented, enthusiastic and committed to public service. He could have been an asset.
Except that all of these articles are available to be downloaded for any faculty, students or members of the public who had a MIT library card. That's what JSTOR is for, sharing academic articles through libraries. He didn't "hack" into some super secure, encrypted database. He logged on as a student.
Swartz' only crime was that he didn't try to get a library card. I know I've gotten one to several universities when I wasn't a student. If he had had an MIT ID, there would've been no cause to prosecute.
My point was that the penalties (35 years of imprisonment, $1M in fines) was not proportionate to his "crimes". He was not going to sell the articles, he returned the material to JSTOR, if anything, he should have been assigned community service.
Reports on the intersections between science, technology, culture and policy, in a blog named after Charles Babbage, a Victorian mathematician and engineer
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subset: commoncrawl


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Top Definition
The act of punching the ass three times while you are engaged in doggy style vaginal sex, and then transfering from vaginal to anal sex, using the third punch to disguise the transfer of the penis to the anus. A great way to initiate anal sex for the first time.
She wouldn't let me bang her in the ass, so I used the triple tap transfer and did it anyways
af komaresh
25. juli 2004


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"Very Enjoyable Grisham"
I really enjoyed this book. It was different in that we started off with a convict who happened to be a lawyer. I also enjoyed the fact that Grisham took the liberty to write entire sections using his imagination and did not rely heavily on researching real court cases. This was the first time I have listened to J.D. Jackson and I have to say he really brought this character to life. I would not have any problems listening to any of his other narrations.
"High Epic"
This is the second book in the series, however there is a short story that precedes this book called Mitosis. At this point in the series you are familiar with the world Brandon Sanderson has created. This is a great example of a second book in the series, it doesn't have any of the lag you might expect from other authors. If you found Steelheart engaging then you won't be disappointed in the Reckoners continuation. MacLeod Andrews is back and performing at the high standard we have come to expect from him.
"Tim Howard Saves more then Goals!"
There was a lot more to Tim Howard then I had first realized. This autobiography takes you through all the trials and tribulations of coming from humble beginnings, struggling from Tourette syndrome to playing in one of the greatest leagues in the world. Tim talks about the people he meet along the way that helped him make his dreams of playing professionally a reality. This book goes beyond that and dives into his personal relationships and also talks about the humanitarian work with NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome. Last but not least Tim talks about his time with the USMNT and the game that would forever make him a soccer legend. Win or loss it is all about the fight to overcome lives adversity's and never giving up. You do not have to be a soccer fan to be touched by this book. I would highly recommend.
"Moive coming out this year."
This first book in a Trilogy has been made into a movie and will be out latter this year. It is directed by Wes Ball, known for Beginners (2010). The Trilogy is not self contained it is more of a continuation of the story book to book. This first book starts out with a teenager named Thomas who awakens in an elevator only being able to remember his own name. When he exits the elevator he discovers he is among other teen boys trapped in a Maze. These boys have been trapped in the maze for 2 years with new arrivals and supplies coming on a regular basis from the creators. But everything changes when a comatose teenage girl arrives with a message. Thomas must find away out of the maze filled with nightmarish machines called Grievers.
"Computers Time Travel and Wizards"
This is a fun light hearted story of Martin a young computer hacker that discovers a computer program that allows him to do wonderful and amazing things, since the world we live in is just a computer program. Martin travels back to Medieval times to flee from the trouble he is in and to become a wizard. Martin soon discovers he is not the only one to discover the file.
"Well worth it."
This was as good as the first book. I was amazed how fast a book this long went. This continues where the last book left off and continues to expand the story line. Brandon Sanderson is a must read for any fantasy novel fans.
"Full Cast of Characters."
You will find the full cast of characters we all have come to love in this last Tom Clancy novel. In this novel we are transported back and forth between the past (30 years ago) and present day. How does Jack seniors past effect Jack Juniors present? You will find everything you have come to expect from a good Clancy novel. The narration by Lou Diamond Phillips brought this book to life.
"No Buggers just Formics."
This version has been edited from the original version and become more streamlined with some of the finer details cut. I am sure that some of the purist will be disappointed with the edits and cuts but overall I still found the book to be enjoyable. It was like listening to an old time radio broadcast of a play being performed.
This is a classic by Orson Scott Card and is the first book in the Enders series. This was originally written as a standalone book but the author has gone back to expanded the universe. So if you enjoyed this one and would like to see what happens next there are several more books to follow this one. In Ender's Game humanity finds itself at war with space aliens that are basically giant bugs. I found myself forgetting at times how young the "soldiers" were. When Ender starts at the War School he is only 6 years old, but Ender and the other soldiers there are unlike any child you know. They are all genus children being trained to command an Army against hostile bugs. If you haven't read this one yet I would definitely pick this one up. Plus Hollywood is making a movie based on this book and is coming out soon.
"More then a War Story."
Tim O'Brien does more then tell a story here. He is able to give you the feeling of being there in both the descriptive nature of his words and the emotions it conjurers within. I got the sense of how heavy and traumatic some of situations were. I do have to warn you, if you are looking for a romanticized version of war this is not the book for you. All of the questionable/disturbing actions of some of the soldiers to acts of heroism are on full display. At times the graphic nature can be disturbing. O'Brien begins this journey when he receives his draft notice, continues on thru the war and concludes his story a few decades after the war.
Bryan Cranston brings these characters to life. He truly does justice to Tim O'Brien's work with his ability to fully emerge you into this world. You will feel all the burdens, decisions, losses, and triumphs. Cranston's performance is everything you would expect from an actor of his caliber.
"Amazing Sci-Fi. I could not put it down!"
I could not put it down and I found myself going through this in what felt like no time at all. If you have read other books by Brandon Sanderson, Mistborn series,
Stormlight Archive series or his hand in the Wheel of Time series, finishing Robert Jordan's work you will notice a change in setting. This book is more Sci-Fi than Fantasy in that it takes place in a modern world with modern weapons and communications. In this modern world there is an event that takes place that empowers a segment of the population with extraordinary ability's, these people are known as Epics.
This was a great start to the series and is one of those books I am sure I will come back and re-listen to.
"Just the beginning"
This isn't bad for a debut attempt by a young writer. Samantha Shannon has a seven book deal to continue this series so there will be plenty more books to come. The Bone Season's film rights were bought by The Imaginarium film studios so we will soon see this book brought to the big screen.
There is a lot of hype surrounding this book with people proclaiming that Shannon is the next J.K. Rowling. I don't think that is fair to set the bar so high for this young author, proclaiming that this is going to be as big as J.K. and Harry Potter. I do see potential here but she reminds me more of the young Christopher Paolini and his The Inheritance Cycle series.
I will keep an eye out for her next book in the series because I am interested to see how she develops as a writer and how this world she has created will expand.


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Saturday, April 18, 2015
Once largely united against the Obama administration's new health care overhaul, a growing number of Republican governors are now buying into parts of the system.
This week, Michigan's Rick Snyder became the sixth GOP governor to support expanding his state's health insurance program to cover more low-income residents.
Snyder concluded that the state's higher Medicaid cost would be outweighed by the large amount of federal money Michigan would receive.á Expanding Medicaid is optional for states, and most Republican governors have not agreed to do so.á Many fear the federal government could later renege on covering its share of the costs.
The administration is pushing the states to participate so that most low-income people will have health coverage when the new system begins next year.


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I ordered the Tutto Calabria thru Amazon. they should arrive next week. Can't wait to try them, and the oil, out!
Here's an 18" "margherita" NY pizza with fresh basil, calabrian chilis and chili oil.Fresh out of the oven. Anybody hungry? Come on over!
RE,What was the reaction of your taste testers?Peter
Smokey and the Bandit Crust anyone?Edit: Just tried it . . . incredible. 72 hour proof with a punchdown reball at 48 hours. Got lucky on this one!
Favorite amongst the kids was the calabrian chili margherita--good eye Deb. We'll definitely will have to add this to our proposed menu . . . just got to think of a catchy name . . . !
Hummm... maybe there is someone you might want to name it after...


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01.28.2013 |
The WWT Process is a proprietary, two-stage sour water stripping process that separates ammonia and hydrogen sulfide streams from sour waters generated by a refinery's process units. The technology also allows debottlenecking of sulfur plants and can reduce the cost of new sulfur units.
Engineering group Bechtel on Monday purchased Chevrons wastewater treatment (WWT) process, a technology that improves the efficiency of petroleum refineries. The WWT Process is a proprietary, two-stage sour water stripping process that separates ammonia and hydrogen sulfide streams from sour waters generated by a refinerys process units. The technology also allows debottlenecking of sulfur plants and can reduce the cost of new sulfur units, especially in refineries that process high nitrogen crudes.
This is a world-class technology that enhances our capability to deliver customers high-quality, technologically superior water and sulfur processing units more efficiently and cost effectively, said Scott Johnson, vice president and general manager of Bechtels onshore oil and gas/downstream division. This acquisition complements our current suite of refinery technologies and continues our long-standing practice of making sure we have the right resources to help our customers meet their needs," he added. The WWT Process was developed and improved by Chevron over the past 40 years. The process achieves higher purity separation and recovery of ammonia from sour water streams, reduces the size requirements of sulfur plants and removes operating problems associated with ammonia salts in sulfur units, according to company officials. The stripped water is suitable for reuse or discharge through downstream treating facilities. The high-purity hydrogen sulfide is a premium feed to conventional sulfur recovery units or sulfuric acid plants. Meanwhile, the ammonia may be recovered for commercial sale, internal use, or separately incinerated.
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is a very good technology, but , as how control the pH and how many chemicals consume a year.I think is an usually technology over the past 40 years my cuestion is if exist other different technology as state of art and vry efficiency.thanks a lot.
A searchable database of project activity in the global hydrocarbon processing industry
Engineers and designers are highly skilled individuals. Forcing them to enter design changes using tables, forms and spreadsheets is unproductive and uneconomical, and it increases the likelihood of human error—this is the way that most instrumentation software systems currently work. For too long, software vendors have denied engineers and designers the simple practicality of a graphical visual engineering interface with "drag and drop" capability and inbuilt intelligence, ensuring changes are automatically replicated into all the associated data and databases.
Will previously-planned downstream investments be cut back in 2015 due to lower global oil prices?
Yes 58%
No 11%
Depends how long current prices last 30%


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White White (grille off) View larger Polk Audio Blackstone TL3 Single satellite speaker (White) Item #: 107TL3W In Stock 15 Reviews Your price: $149.99 each Earn up to 150 Rewards points Black White Add to Cart Free Shipping Lifetime Tech Support + Add to wishlist + Email me alerts for this product Open Box: $134.99 View all associated offers Need help? 1.888.955.6000 Email Chat Ask an expert advisor No pressure, no commission — just lots of good advice from our highly trained staff. x By buying this product you'll earn up to 150 Rewards points. When you sign up for a Crutchfield account, you'll be enrolled in Crutchfield Rewards. You'll earn one point for every dollar you spend on gear from us. You can turn your points into Rewards Cards that you can use toward future purchases. You can sign up for an account now, or after you complete your purchase (you'll get credit for the points either way). Sign up for a Crutchfield account
by Kristen Schaub Big-speaker performance in the palm of your hand Polk completely reimagined the compact speaker when they designed the Blackstone TL3. Built using the same tweeter design found in their flagship full-sized speakers and packed with exclusive state-of-the-art technologies, the TL3 overcomes some of the usual limitations of compact speakers. You'll hear the kind of accuracy and detail you expect from a much-larger speaker, including a wide soundstage, realistic detail, and deep bass response. It's the perfect choice when space in your living area is limited, but your love of great sound is not. Crisp, dynamic sound thanks to high-tech drivers A big part of the TL3's incredible sound is the 3/4" ring radiator tweeter. Found in Polk's flagship speakers, this sophisticated tweeters reproduce transparent, natural highs. The 3-1/4" aerated polypropylene woofer is lightweight, but also stiff and strong, allowing the cone to move more freely in the baffle. It means you can play your music loud without hearing any distortion. Polk's Extended Linear Motion voice coil helps make the cone's movement even more efficient to further cut down on distortion and extend the speaker's dynamic range. This increased efficiency is the key to the TL3's big sound. Immersive home theater performance The "TL" refers to Polk's "Time Lens" technology, which aligns the drivers in such a way that high- and low-frequency sounds all reach your ears at the same time. This improves the speaker's imaging and soundstaging, so that you'll feel less like you're watching a movie and more like you're part of it. An "acoustic lens" in the speaker grille disperses sound waves in a way that makes your music and movie soundtracks sound larger and more open. The TL3 also features Polk's acclaimed PowerPort® technology to help reinforce bass output. Plus, its sturdy cabinet is reinforced with a steel plate to help fight resonances that can muddy the sound. Easy speaker placement The TL3 has a keyhole slot in the back for easy mounting on your wall straight from the box. You can also use the threaded insert to attach it to an optional speaker bracket or stand. Create your own home theater system using a combination of black TL3's in the front of your room and white TL3 surrounds in the back. Don't forget to add the TL3 center channel speaker and a Polk subwoofer to complete your system. Got wire? Most speakers don't include any. Learn about choosing and installing speaker wire at the Crutchfield Learning Center. Shop our selection of speaker wire. Product Highlights:Time Lens technology aligns the drivers for better soundstaging and imagingfrequency response 115-28,000 Hz (-3dB)sensitivity 88 dBhandles up to 125 watts3/4" Ring Radiator tweeter3-1/4" aerated polypropylene Dynamic Balance® mid/wooferExtended Linear Motion (ELM) voice coil helps reduce distortion and extend dynamic rangePowerPort® technology for better bass responsesteel-plate reinforced cabinet fights internal resonancescurved enclosure with high-gloss finish5-way gold-plated binding postsincludes combination keyhole slot and threaded insertvideo-shielded to prevent magnetic distortion on tube TVs4-1/2"W x 7-3/4"H x 5-11/16"Dweight: 3.0 lbs.warranty: 5 yearsOur 60-day money-back guarantee Why choose bookshelf speakers? Bookshelf speakers may be small in size, but they can deliver surprisingly big sound. Some ultra-compact models even fit on a desktop. Most are right at home in tight spaces like shelves, so they're usually good choices for your home theater's rear channels. For the best performance, try placing bookshelf speakers on solid speaker stands to help the sound really "open up." If you want full bass impact, add a powered subwoofer and enjoy punchy sound that's as deeply satisfying as that of floor-standing speakers.
Polk TL3B review after two months use Written By DanP, Boerne, TX on Monday, May 12, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Reviews I read lead me to purchase these but sound is no better than a $40 pair of desktop PC speakers. The design/appearance is nice- the glossy housing helps resist dust accumulation- especially when the speakers are up on wall mounts. We don't want a heavy base response and the reviews I read indicated these speakers were great at the upper end frequencies. Listinging to jass or classical you want to hear the cymbals, violins being plucked, or a classical voice's upper range sharp like tapping a fork against a wine glass. However, even driven by a solid Niles amp and the EQ settings with treble all the way up, it still sounds like the speakers are covered by a layer of foam- very muffled sound. Best response is barely in the midrange. I tried a direct CD input, tried SONOS, and even ran a local classical station's HD transmitted programming into these and it's muffled. I wish I would've bought Bose cube speakers. We have other Polks and they are fine. At the price level- I expected more on these TL3B's. Also, while these are made for bookshelf and wall mount placement, you cannot remove the large rubber 'shoe' on the back- you don't konw that until you get them. It should be removable as it's a big chunk of plastic and rubber that looks like a strap on high-heel shoe. Polk should reassess these speakers or charge about $75-100 less per pair. Seriously. Pros: Easy mounting and adapst to most all ball mounting systems. Speaker wire connections out of sight, glossy housing helps repel dust. Cons: Muffled sound no better than cheap desktop speakers you can buy even at other retailers. Speakers have extremely poor mid to upper range response. Cymbal crash for examples sounds like crunching tissue paper instead of crystal clear despite Polk's marketing information. Plastic/rubber support 'foot' on back of speaker cannot be removed for wall mounting purposes- makes the speakers look clunky and as if they were never meant for wall mounting despite the wallmount attachment hardware.
Impressive!! Written By Eddie, San Jose, CA on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I replaced older Yamaha full range 4' tall monsters used for my 5.1 surround system fronts. These little guys "Rocked" immediately and sound awesome. I can't even notice the difference in sound overall at all levels for music and movies. I originally was going to purchase the TL2, but after speaking to a Crutchfield tech, I was convinced to go with the TL3 for my particular set-up. Excellent advice from a knowledgeable expert. I highly recommend these hot looking bookshelf speakers!! Pros: Great appearance, excellent range and sound...even produces noticeable bass. Small size fits just about anywhere. Includes wall mounting brackets. Cons: Perhaps priced a bit on the higher side but worth it. Otherwise, no cons.
Polk Audio Blackstone TL3 Written By Roy, Rockford, IL on Sunday, February 09, 2014 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Very clear nice sound from these small speakers, (I have a polk sub to get the bass needed). Blends in well with my system and look good.
The speakers are great Written By killerjimbo, Reading, Pa on Thursday, June 06, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I could have given a 5 star rating but I may have underestimated what they would do in a very long, open room area. I may still keep them but am considering an upgrade option Pros: These speakers sound very good but may be a bit small for the size of my room Cons: None
Polk Audio Blackstone TL3 Written By Jaime E, Seattle Wa. on Saturday, April 06, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) this speaker sound so good i love it.
Polk Audio Blackstone TL3 Written By Anonymous, Toms River, NJ on Tuesday, April 02, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Sounds great .... great as rear channel speakers for surround sound system.
TL3 Bedroom Setup Written By MikeinLBC, Long Beach, CA on Thursday, February 28, 2013 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I installed a Sonos amp in my bathroom recently and liked it so much that I decided to put one in my master bedroom as well. I love the Sonos system but I find the Play 3 and Play 5 lacking in sound quality. In any case, I knew my wife would not be too keen on large speakers, and I really didn't want to install ceiling speakers (as I did in my bathroom) so I decided on small bookshelf speakers. After doing some homework and considering aesthetics I decided on a somewhat different approach; a pair of TL3 satellites and the Polk PSW111 subwoofer. These satellites are HEAVY! I am very impressed by just how solid these speakers for their size. I knew going into this that the speakers would have essentially no bass to speak of so I hooked up the Polk PSW111 ( a very compact subwoofer) to the Sonos Amp (it has a sub out connection) and I couldn't be happier. The TL3s even have ring radiator tweeters which is impressive. Pros: Nice piano black finish Extremely well built Impressive tweeter Cons: No bass so plan using as surrounds in a home theater setup or with a subwoofer. This isn't really a con as they weren't designed to really deliver bass.
Very Nice! Written By Nick, Sandy Springs, GA on Wednesday, September 12, 2012 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Sound so good I constantly get up to answer my phone every time one on TV rings. Pros: Excellent Sound Quality Cons: None
Blackstone TL3 Written By Zubuck, Charlotte, NC on Thursday, August 30, 2012 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Bought these to plug into the height/wide channels of ny new Marantz SR7500. Have a bit of a Frankenstein speaker system with Boston mains & Mirage surrounds but these blended quite well - not sure how much was the Audessy setup vs the natural timbre of the speakers but I'm very happy with ther overall effect. Put Super 8 on Blu-Ray into the DVD and the effect during the train wreck was simply amazing. Wouldn't heditate to use these for all channels along with a good sub. Pros: Well built. Great Piano Black finish & exceptional frequency response from such a small speaker. Cons: Nuthin!
Insanely good for the price Written By JohnK, Kennebunkport, ME on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 I use these in a modest home theater system purchased here, where their performance is limited by the modest gear they're connected to. In a bookshelf configuration, they perform admirably, throwing a large stage and giving great "movie" effects up, out and behind the speakers. For grins, I connected them to my 20k two-channel system, adjusted the dual subs, and waited for a laugher. Well...no laugher. The treble on these things is delicate, detailed, and nicely rendered, and the mids are neutral and with good harmonics. Bass was MIA but who would run these without a sub or two? Okay, I understand that people won't match $300 sats with $5,000 worth of subs and 15k of gear, but the point is made: get these and spend the money you save on a better pre/pro or receiver and/or a nice sub. These things will respond to better gear accordingly. Just a terrific little speaker, and crazy good for this money. Pros: Accurate, delicate, non-etchy treble way beyong this price point; neutral mids with good (not great, but good) detail retrieval. They look clean and neat and unobtrusive (in my opinion) in a home theater set up. Nice speaker terminals for this price. Cons: No bass. Surprise. Not as refined as pricier gear, but I doubt you'd be able to tell in most home theater setups.
Surround speakers Written By Danielbme, Wasilla Alaska on Friday, February 03, 2012 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I was originally going to get something bigger for my surrounds but my wife talked me into these. They sound great, look sleek and were very easy to mount on the walls. Great sound and they got here quick. Perfect addition to my Polk home theater system. Pros: Sound great, look good. Cons: None
Polk Audio BlackstoneT TL3 Written By John K, OKC on Friday, January 20, 2012 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) Decided it was time to replace my mammoth 1987 Kenwood speakers (which still work great) with these compact speakers. Was worried about the plastic housing, but.... they sound great. Pros: Compact, looks and sounds great. Cons: Plastic, only time will tell if this is really a con.
No-Brainer Upgrade Written By MarkB, Irvine, Ca on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 If you are thinking about upgrading your current surround sound system-as I was-for some new technology it is well worth the expense. Especially if your system is several years old like mine was. I previosly had the Polk RM6901's for fronts, RM7302 as my center, and the RM6801's as my surrounds. My new system which includes 5 TL350's-the 5 Pack-out performs my RM series speakers easily. The Vocals are crystal clear and the instumentals are Phenominal. It sounds just like you were in the front row of a concert hall or in the sweet spot. Therefore, in my mind it is a no brainer when it comes to spending the extra money on these speakers whether you buy 2 or 5. Pros: Wall mounting bracket is the perfect size and makes it a snap to mount. Took me just a few minutes to set up and mount. Sound of speaker is phenominal.Voices come out crystal clear. Instrumentals sound positively like your sitting in the front row of a concert. The finish of the speaker is flawless and the pedistal the speaker sits on is very ingenious. Cons: Nothing
Polk Audio Blackstone Written By ROD, PINEHURST, NC. on Friday, July 01, 2011 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) These speakers are replacing some older larger speakers and are truly AWESOME - - they provide a clear crisp sound. For a small speaker, they really throw a punch. I cannot thank CRUTCHFIELD enough for the recommendation. They are everything they claim to be and more !!!
baby lsi?? Written By J.J., ohio on Thursday, June 09, 2011 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) I purchased these to use with my polk lsi theater system as extra surrounds, thinking they would be timber matched ( or very close ) because of the ring radiator tweeters and 88db sens.rating. They do blend well, and while not as power hungry, They seem to have no problem with the 125 watts of high current power they are getting......and are doing a great job!. This was cheaper then getting a second pair of lsi-fx speakers ( 1,000.00 a pair ) and they blend with the system very well !!!.


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Poor Richard!
The discovery of the bones in Leicester, England, of King Richard III has sparked an interest in that time of history. Unfortunately, many people take it as gospel that Richard was a monster who slaughtered his own nephews, among many others ... (Times Argus editorial, The son of York, Feb. 7). That idea has been fostered by Shakespeare and others who took their material from papers left by Sir Thomas Moore. However, Moore was only 5 years old when Richard became king in 1483. Moore got his information from one of Richards bitter enemies, John Morton, who prospered greatly in the reign of Henry VII.
Historians have recorded the facts. After Richards well-loved brother King Edward IV died suddenly, Richard was expecting to be regent to Edwards young son as was cited in Edwards will. However, one Bishop Stillington came forward and announced under oath to the ruling council of the day that he had married Edward IV to Lady Eleanor Butler, and they were still married when Edward married Elizabeth Woodville, the mother of the two princes, thus making those boys and their five sisters illegitimate and not heirs to the crown. The matter was put to Parliament, which declared Richard the rightful king. He had no need to kill his nephews, or anyone else.
There were conspirators, of course, who would do better under a different rule. Henry Tudor (Henry VII) was the great-grandson of an illegitimate son of a younger son of a king (Josephine Tey in The Daughter of Time). Henry VII was successful in defeating Richard at the battle of Bosworth Field. Shortly after declaring himself king, Henry married one of Edward IVs daughters, Elizabeth (grandmother to her namesake Elizabeth I). To make his descendants legitimate heirs of the throne, Henry rescinded Parliaments decree concerning Elizabeths disinheritance. Unfortunately for them, it also made her brothers the rightful heirs to the crown. They had to go, but mysteriously. Morton did a masterful job of putting the blame for their deaths, and many other atrocities, on the now-dead Richard.
There is a Richard III Society which has been working ... to secure a more balanced assessment of the king and to support research into his life and times.... The recent Greyfriars excavation has raised the kings profile and provided us with new opportunities to make the case for Good King Richard (website of the Richard III Society).
Sue Clayton
East MontpelierMORE IN LettersAs the school year begins to wind down, we would like to take a moment to thank all of the... Full StoryVermonts cherished social fabric dates from when typical rural Vermonters were born and... Full StoryIt seems that there was a lot of extra security from private firms at the May Day celebration for... Full Story -
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I'm wondering, why OpenShot gets the news in Phoronix and Kdenlive, whose version 0.7.8 was released last (?) week, gets no attention. They are both non-linear open-source video editing programs and they both use mlt.
Phoronix: OpenShot 1.2.2 Further Pushes Open-Source Video Editing
OpenShot, one of the popular and promising non-linear open-source video editing projects, is out today with their first major release in nearly a half-year. OpenShot 1.2.2 is this new release and it brings a number of new features and other bug-fixes as it attempts to close the gap between open and closed-source video editors...
I'm wondering, why OpenShot gets the news in Phoronix and Kdenlive, whose version 0.7.8 was released last (?) week, gets no attention. They are both non-linear open-source video editing programs and they both use mlt.
OpenShot seems to forgo GStreamer in favor of FFMPEG and MLT. [Sarcasm] Spurning proper integration into the one true Linux desktop, GNOME. Not to mention spurning our DRM-loving, "proprietary plugin"-peddling and GPL-violating friends at Fluendo.[Sarcasm]
Actually, it's kind of scary how Redhat seems to have lost the desktop bet. With Meego having chosen Qt, it will be a slow and painful death for GNOME, GTK, Glib, GStreamer etc. Too bad for all the usability work and money that went into these.
Last time I checked, Qt was not a desktop, it was a GUI/Network/Utility library :P
I was wondering that myself, but to be fair I don't know whether there have been or not news items about kdenlive in Phoronix.
OpenShot is very nice. It's main developer knows how to create a community around a project. The progress of OpenShot has been quite interesting to follow, user suggestions and needs are listened to and it actually delivers. Kdenlive arguably aims for more professional features and it's more complete than OpenShot. I'm a complete newbie about video editing and yet I couldn't accomplish with OpenShot what I had in my head; with kdenlive it was easily done and is now my number one choice.
Recently I was shocked to find out that Linux already has more (free) options in the video editing arena than Windows. It used to be one of those things coming up in the typical OS wars threads (with Photoshop, audio, games, Office and so on). In my experience, not anymore. Recently I made some video I sent to my friends, who asked me what sort of tools are needed to produce something like it. After looking around I could only find a freeware, crap version of a commercial package, crippled down in terms of functionality and codecs available. Perhaps I missed something obvious, but ended up telling them to install Linux or put up with the price of a commercial package (sure, there's also illegal downloads but I don't recommend those).
Heh, yeah. The OpenShot guy has blogged about his move from GStreamer to MLT, quite an interesting read. Funny that even after all the reasons given somebody from GStreamer had the guts to post something about reconsidering his position for, you know, GStreamer is amazing and he probably was using it incorrectly. My experiences as a user are perhaps unrelated, but am I the only one who found literally everything related to GStreamer to be a train wreck? I'm sure I'm missing what GStreamer really is, how ffmpeg solves a different set of problems or...whatever. Everytime I read about somebody using Totem & co. a little bit of me dies.Originally Posted by stan
I am a Totem user. I am also learning gstreamer as a developer. I wrote my first video player in 15 minutes and 60 lines of Python code. If you want it simple, it is a simple API. If you want more, it is also a very big and flexible API, covering all your multimedia needs. The non-linear part of Gstreamer is very immature, so I'm not surprised that OpenShot ditched it. I'm also glad that the Pitivi developers instead choose to improve gnonlin, so that I may one day use a stable API when I develop non-linear cravings.
One possible reason why some people think ffmpeg "sucks" is that half of the applications using it need to include a copy of one particular, often patched, version of ffmpeg in their source code, and that makes distribution packagers cry...
Personally, I wouldn't care if something else replaced GStreamer, but it would have to be modular like GStreamer, with some backwards & forwards compatibility rules, and the possibility to add/remove modules (e.g. codecs) without needing to recompile everything.
BTW: the ffmpeg project has some of the best codec developers in the world probably, and I thank all of them for that work, but it seems like many of them don't care about "average users", and as such it's often rather difficult to use their work in the real world (which has more "average users" than "developers").
Those little editors (KDenLive, PiTiVi, OpenShot) are used as "litle Jesus" around here. It is quite false as they are a decade behind Cinelerra, the only professional OpenSource editor around. LightSpark is vaporware, I am not even sure the thing actually exist after doing more research on it.
Cinelerra, have more features than those 3 combined (double counts). Wake me up the day I can do a blue screen (kromakey) with three layer and use vectors to define area for object level color management. Or even just have a nice way to control X, Y, Z and Opacity of layers over time.
Right, I see. On the other hand, I saw time and again how bad applications based on GStreamer were. In my case, the best possible scenario with a GStreamer based media player used to be that it didn't crash when opening a video, and then the performance was 2-3 times worse than ffmpeg. I just don't conceive preferring anything to mplayer. Of course, I assume gstreamer has improved in the last 2 years. Yet, my last data point is from a couple of weeks ago, when somebody suggested me a subtitle editor application based on gstreamer. I wasn't at all surprised when it couldn't open my videos. I've had enough of that nonsense; it's 2010, if I install something I expect it to make a fair attemp at doing what it says on the tin (which kde4's subtitle composer with any video backend except Gstreamer does). Don't get me wrong, if it works for you all the better, but I don't quite get why you are glad that Pitivi developers chose to improve gnonlin when there's already a superior and more mature framework for non-linear editing. The OpenShot developer, instead, didn't put up with it and thus was able to offer something that works and fills the basic needs of many users.Originally Posted by Remco
That's quite an elitist position. Kdenlive and openshot (I don't know about PiTiVi), do what they intend to. Dismissing them because they are not professional editors makes no sense. Thanks to those editors, it is possible for people with modest needs (i.e. the majority of home users) to carry on, which is already more than what can be said for the Windows world unless you are happy to pay for a commercial solution. For people like me, Cinelerra was an overkill, unstable monster with which I couldn't do anything. For those who need more than Kdenlive, it's good news that Cinelerra exists; they play on different leagues. It's a bit like the Photoshop vs Gimp debates. Reading people's complains about the lack of certain advanced features in The Gimp (which no doubt it's true) would make you believe that everybody on the internet is a professional photographer.Originally Posted by Elv13
It was a rant against this statement from the article.
There is no gap between open and closed apps. Jashaka, Cinelerra, LightSpark and Lumiera fill the pro niche quite well (well, only cinelerra, the other is bad+dead and Lumiera is not ready yet and LightSpark is vaporware). KDenLive aspire to be the Digikam of video, so good for normal users, but with a pro feature set. It is not there yet, but I try every release and new feature hoping it get stable (my normal needs are really simple, but sometime I like to do better vids and special effects). The two other are just trying to clone MovieMaker and, according to some peoples, are there to make Linux the best multimedia OS (it already is with apps ported from Unix/Irix, but those are closed apps, so they does not count).OpenShot 1.2.2 is this new release and it brings a number of new features and other bug-fixes as it attempts to close the gap between open and closed-source video editors.