Category: News

Google Says to China, 'If you keep hacking our servers, We will leave China'

I cannot blame them one bit.

We launched Google.cn in January 2006 in the belief that the benefits of increased access to information for people in China and a more open Internet outweighed our discomfort in agreeing to censor some results. At the time we made clear that “we will carefully monitor conditions in China, including new laws and other restrictions on our services. If we determine that we are unable to achieve the objectives outlined we will not hesitate to reconsider our approach to China.”

These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered–combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web–have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.

The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences. We want to make clear that this move was driven by our executives in the United States, without the knowledge or involvement of our employees in China who have worked incredibly hard to make Google.cn the success it is today. We are committed to working responsibly to resolve the very difficult issues raised.

via Official Google Blog: A new approach to China.

Which totally destroys the Conservative Meme that Google is some sort of evil socialist company. In actuality, Google strikes me as being more of a civil libertarian type of a group. Because Google is very big on privacy and has fought in court against privacy invasion; they also support many organizations that fight for privacy. The reason why Google is hammered by the right, is because they refuse to show deference to the American Christian Holidays. The reason they do this is to be fair to all of the faiths and because Google is not solely an American Company, but an international company with people from many faiths and backgrounds. Personally, I would like to see good be a bit more friendlier towards America, it’s Holidays and Customs, but, I do understand their position on the matter.

I personally commend Google’s stance on privacy and I am extremely happy to see Google stand up for the privacy of the people of China, especially those who are fighting against that Communist Government in China.

Updated – Latest News on Haiti Earthquake – As many as 100,000 feared dead

As I reported last night, a 7.0 Earthquake hit Haiti.

Now the death toll and damage tolls are being shown. Reader GWSSDelta told me about a video, that comes via CBS News:

CNN, MSNBC and Fox News all have in depth coverage. Memeorandum has an excellent Blog roundup on the political front.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper is in Haiti now:

No word on death tolls yet; but this does sound very bad. I will have more in a bit.

Update: Here is how you can help with the relief effort, via DIPNote:

For those interested in helping immediately, simply text “HAITI” to “90999” and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill.

Or you can go online to organizations like the Red Cross and Mercy Corps Mercy Corps to make a contribution to the disaster relief efforts.

The State Department Operations Center has set up the following number for Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747. We’ll provide more details and opportunities to help as we learn more. To stay up-to-date, follow us on state.gov.

Update #2: The Anchoress Reports a list of Relief Organizations helping: (H/T Malkin)

Catholic Relief Services
United Methodist Committee on Relief
The Red Cross
Salvation Army
Providence in Haiti
American Jewish World Service
Lutheran World Relief
Cross International
World Vision
International Orthodox Christian Charities

Ya’ll know what to do. 😀

Update #3: As Always, our awesome Military is “on it!” Military Times is reporting:

The aircraft carrier Carl Vinson was rerouted Wednesday to support humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti, according to U.S. Southern Command. The carrier is expected to arrive off the coast of Haiti Thursday.

The command confirmed additional Navy ships are underway to Haiti, but did not specify what vessels would be going.

The command, based in Miami, also deployed a team of 30 people to Haiti to work with U.S. Embassy personnel as well as Haitian, U.N. and international officials to assess the situation and facilitate follow-on U.S. military support, according to the press release. The team includes military engineers, operational planners, a command and control group and communication specialists. They will arrive in Haiti today on two C-130 Hercules aircraft.

Elements of the Air Force 1st Special Operations Wing were deploying to the international airport at Port-au-Prince to provide air traffic control capability and airfield operations. They are expected to arrive in Haiti on Wednesday afternoon.

Early Wednesday morning, Coast Guard helicopters evacuated four critically injured U.S. Embassy staff to hospital at Naval Station Guantanamo, Cuba, for further treatment.

A U.S. P-3 Orion from the Forward Operating Location at Comalapa, El Salvador, also conducted aerial reconnaissance of the affected area.

SouthCom has supported 14 major relief missions in the region since 2005, including assistance to Haiti in September 2008. During that mission, forces from the amphibious assault ship Kearsarge and other units airlifted 3.3 million pounds of aid to communities that were devastated by a succession of major storms.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian people and all those affected by this devastating earthquake,” said Army Col. James Marshall, SouthCom spokesman.

Vinson and its crew of approximately 3,200 sailors left Norfolk on Tuesday en route to their new homeport in San Diego. The carrier, which is commanded by Capt. Bruce Lindsey, was joined by Carrier Air Wing 17 and the cruisers Lake Champlain and Bunker Hill. As flagship of the newly established Carrier Strike Group 1, Vinson was to provide maritime security as it circumnavigates South America and provide humanitarian assistance or disaster relief, if required.

The call came fewer than 24 hours later.

Major Kudos on our Armed Forces for being ready for the call; wherever it might be from. Good Job men!

Update #4: The Daily Caller is linking to a story in the Daily Mail in the U.K. that as many as 100,000 are feared dead.

It is times like these, when I do wish that my Ham Radio Station was Operational… 🙁

Fox News also gives the background as to why this happened. Simply put, the earth is just old.

Update #5: The Anchoress links in. Thank you! 😀

Update #6: ….and of course, the Stupidity of the Christian Right Starts.

Update #7: Man, 2 two days and about 5K viewers later and I realize, I have the Country misspelled in the headline! D’oh! 🙄

BREAKING NEWS – 7.0 quake hits Haiti

Uh, Oh… This is not good.

PORT-AU-PRINCE — A huge quake measuring 7.0 rocked the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti Tuesday toppling buildings and causing widespread damage and panic, officials and AFP witnesses said.

A tsunami alert was immediately issued for the Caribbean region after the earthquake struck at 2153 GMT.

An AFP correspondent said the ground shook for more than a minute. Just minutes later two aftershocks measuring both 5.9 and 5.5 on the moment magnitude scale hit, US officials said.

“I think it's really a catastrophe of major proportions,” the country's ambassador to the United States, Raymond Alcide Joseph, told CNN television.

The US Geological Survey said the powerful quake was initially measured at 7.3 on the scale and struck 16 kilometers (ten miles) from the capital Port-Au-Prince, and 27 kilometers (17 miles) from Petionville.

An AFP correspondent in Petionville said one three-story building, housing two offices, was toppled, and a tractor was already at the scene trying to dig out victims as people fled onto the streets in panic.

The up-scale area is home to many foreign diplomats and members of a major United Nations mission to the country.

via AFP: Fears of major catastrophe as 7.0 quake rocks Haiti.

Oy… California Yesterday, Hati today…

Thoughts and Prayers for the people down there. Stay tuned for updates, if any.

The Vice President's Mom, Jean Biden Dead at 92

Some awfully sad news to report today….

Video via ABC:

The Story via The New York Times:

Jean Biden with her Son, Joe

Her death was announced by Mr. Biden. She had become seriously ill in the last few days, and the vice president had left Washington on Thursday to be with her.

[…]

Mrs. Biden was in the audience when he accepted the vice-presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Denver on Aug. 27, 2008.

In his speech, Mr. Biden said she had helped and encouraged him in overcoming his stuttering as a youth, telling him that he stuttered “because I was so bright, I couldn’t get the thoughts out quickly enough.”

After his wife and daughter were killed in an auto accident in December 1972, Mr. Biden said, “She told me, ‘Joey, God sends no cross you cannot bear.’ And when I triumphed, she was quick to remind me it was because of others.”

He added: “My mother’s creed is the American creed: No one is better than you. You are everyone’s equal, and everyone is equal to you.”

There are some Bloggers who would use a time like this to snipe at the Vice President and his Politics. I am not one of those kind of bloggers. Further more, if anyone leaves a stupid comment, I will not approve it and I will add the IP address to the idiot filter.

There is politics and there is real life. This is a real life and a very real family. I, on the behalf of my family; would like to send our most heartfelt condolences to the Biden family on this very sad day. I could not even begin to imagine what it is like, or what it will be like to lose my Mother. I know that Joe’s faith will carry him and I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will be with him during his time of loss. Joe Biden has been through much, and I am sure that he will make it. However, I know loss like this, can hurt like bloody hell. God be with the Vice President and with his family.

Others covering: MyDD, HillBuzz, ABCNEWS, Politics Daily, The Huffington Post

Breaking News: London Police Board Plane due to passanger making threats

Man, decide to take the weekend off and all hell breaks loose… Oy!

The Video, Via Sky News:

The Story, via Sky News:

Armed police have boarded a plane at Heathrow airport and are believed to have arrested two men after a “verbal threat”.

Passenger Cameron McLean said: “Police just swarmed the guy and rushed him out.

“I think he was a white male. There was another one but I didn’t see him.”

He said the man was taken out in handcuffs then sniffer dogs were brought on board.

An airport spokesman said: “I can confirm there has been an incident on the EK004 flight to Dubai.

“Police are attending. It’s not affecting the rest of the airport which remains opens.”

Sky’s crime correspondent Martin Brunt said: “A verbal threat of some description was made. It was overheard. It was reported to members of the crew.

“They were understandably very concerned.

“They stopped the plane. The plane was taken back to some part of Heathrow, at which point anti-terror police boarded the plane.

“I think, at the moment, this was just a verbal threat but, of course, an investigation ensues until police are satisfied.

“It’s an indication of how jumpy airlines and anti-terror police are.”

Fox News is now reporting that it was group of drunken passengers. But it does show how jittery the authorities are here in America and in England.

Folks, if you’re flying, do not, I repeat, DO NOT make a stupid remark while flying. You will go to jail.  It is being reported that these guys were trying to be funny. How stupid. They should be jailed for making false terror threats.

It is being reported that the Heathrow Airport is back to normal.

Update: Fox News is now reporting that three men have been arrested in London.

Good Luck to Richard Spencer

Who is leaving or has left Taki’s Magazine.

From the beginning, I thought of my role at Takimag as that of an impresario, my task being to surround myself with as many people who are smarter than I am as possible. (Whenever I’d mention this to my buddies, one would usually chime in with, “Well, Richard, that’s not too hard!” Hardy har har…)

Takimag was churning out great stuff before I arrived (with Paul Gottfried, Justin Raimondo, and John Zmirak leading the way), but I’m particularly grateful to those new contributors who helped me appear like an intelligent and well connected editor.

[…]

And what else will I be up to? Well, I’m currently hard at work creating a new web project. Many of the themes that predominated at Takimag over the past two years will be taken up again at the new site, but I also hope to cut some new paths, particularly in the discussion of Human Biological Diversity and also in terms of the format and look of a right-wing webzine.

In order to fuel more speculation around the blogosphere, I won’t say anymore… But expect a launch by early February. And if you’re interested in supporting this project, then I encourage you to shoot me an email, as I’d love to discuss the details with you.

Crises are opportunities, and I hope that 2010 will be the year when the Alternative Right comes into its own.

In closing, I’ve had a great time at Takimag over the past two years, and its been an honor to work with such intelligent contributors and readers.

Best of luck to Mr. Spencer. I have always enjoyed Robert writings, even if I disagreed with some of what he has to say. I have always enjoyed Taki’s Magazine. It is a bit of the high brow, but always enjoyable.

Hmmmmmmm: Fighter jets escort plane to after passenger becomes 'unruly'

Saw this earlier… and it did make me wonder….

Two F-15 fighter jets escorted a passenger jet that had been headed for Hawaii back to Portland International Airport in Oregon after a passenger in coach became “uncooperative,” an airline official said Wednesday.

Hawaiian Airlines Flight 39 took off from Portland at 10:10 a.m. with 231 passengers and a crew of 10 when — 90 minutes into the flight — its captain decided to turn around the Boeing 767, said Keoni Wagner, the airline's vice president of public affairs.

The fighter jets intercepted the plane at 1 p.m. North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a written statement.

It landed at 1:16 p.m. without further incident, the TSA said.

Upon the plane's return, the passenger — a 56-year-old Salem, Oregon, man — was escorted from the plane with his female companion without incident, the FBI and the Port of Portland said in a joint statement.

The FBI said it was not releasing his name because he had not been charged.

FBI agents and Port officers interviewed the passenger and his companion, the flight crew and others, then released the two and referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for review.

via Fighter jets escort plane to after passenger becomes unruly – CNN.com.

What did he do?

In a statement, the Transportation Security Administration said the captain decided to return the plane to Portland “due to a suspicious passenger who made threatening remarks and refused to store his carry-on bag.”

Port of Portland Public Information Officer Martha Richmond told CNN that the plane was turned around “due to concerns the crew had.”

Do I think it was an overreaction? Possibly. However, in light of what happened over the Christmas Holiday; any action, is better than no action at all. Glad to see that TSA is on top of things.