Archive for September, 2011
Rogue Trader Cost UBS $2 Billion
September 15th, 2011If UBS lost $2 billion, who wound up with it? Via: Reuters: Swiss bank UBS said a trader had lost it around $2 billion in unauthorized deals, and police in London arrested 31-year-old Kweku Adoboli in connection with the case. Adoboli — a director of exchange traded funds and “Delta 1” working in the bank’s […]
‘New Emotion Detector Can See When We’re Lying’
September 14th, 2011[???] Via: BBC: A sophisticated new camera system can detect lies just by watching our faces as we talk, experts say. The computerised system uses a simple video camera, a high-resolution thermal imaging sensor and a suite of algorithms. Researchers say the system could be a powerful aid to security services. It successfully discriminates between […]
Catholic Church Abuse Victims Seek Prosecution of Pope Benedict and Other Vatican Officials in International Criminal Court
September 14th, 2011Via: Time: Clergy sex abuse victims upset that no high-ranking Roman Catholic leaders have been prosecuted for sheltering guilty priests have turned to the International Criminal Court, seeking an investigation of the pope and top Vatican cardinals for possible crimes against humanity. The Vatican called the move a “ludicrous publicity stunt.” The Center for Constitutional […]
Germany and Greece Flirt with Mutual Assured Destruction
September 14th, 2011Via: Telegraph: First we learn from planted leaks that Germany is activating “Plan B”, telling banks and insurance companies to prepare for 50pc haircuts on Greek debt; then that Germany is “studying” options that include Greece’s return to the drachma. German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble has chosen to do this at a moment when the […]
Utility Paid $200K for Positive Web Stories on Fake News Site
September 14th, 2011Via: CBS News: A Southern California water utility paid nearly $200,000 in taxpayer dollars for glowing coverage from a website that boosted its profile on Google, according to a newspaper report. The Los Angeles Times reports that officials from the Central Basin Municipal Water District used public funds to have a consultant produce promotional stories […]
French Bank Ratings Downgraded by Moody’s
September 14th, 2011Via: BBC: Rating agency Moody’s has downgraded two French banks whose share prices have dived on fears of their exposure to the eurozone debt crisis. Credit Agricole was cut from Aa1 to Aa2 and Societe Generale from Aa2 to Aa3, due to their exposure to Greek debt. A third bank, BNP Paribas, was kept on […]
Microsoft’s Desperation to Catch Apple in the Crackpad Race to the Land of Dumb and Dumber
September 14th, 2011As you guys know, I’m not much of a fan of any operating system. I find Windows XP to be the least bad for what I do. Windows 7 is usable. Mac OSX is usable (but doesn’t support MultiCharts, an application I use daily). Linux still sucks, on the client side, and I guess that […]
Vladimir Putin, Action Man
September 13th, 2011YES!!! The best EVER Putin propaganda photo gallery. No really. The. Best. Via: The Atlantic: Vladimir Putin, the 58-year-old former president and current prime minister of Russia, has cultivated a distinct public image over the past several years. The politician has piloted firefighting planes, darted whales, driven race cars, and even taken a submersible 1,400 […]
Cryptogon Reader Sends Contribution
September 13th, 2011JM sent $25. Thank you.
U.S. Poverty Rate Swells to Nearly 1 in 6
September 13th, 2011And to see how the so-called Middle Class is doing, this one is worth checking out: It’s Impossible To “Get By” In The U.S. Of course, the situation has gotten much worse since that article was published. Via: AP: The ranks of U.S. poor swelled to nearly 1 in 6 people last year, reaching a […]
