Category Archives: Culture

Outrage as UK student faces Extradition to US over Alleged Copyright Breaches

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British student Richard Oliver faces extradition to the US for his website TV Shack, which offered links to films. He could face up to five years in a US jail.

Commentators have demanded an explanation as to how there can be any justification to extradite a UK national, with a UK based website and server, with no connection to the US at all.

The controversial 2003 US-UK extradition treaty has been heavily criticised for working one way only, there is no reciprocal agreement. Is it a threat to British sovereignty, particularly when used for such minor offences?

It is very questionable whether Mr Oliver has committed any offence at all. In fact some have speculated the attempt at extradition is precisely because Mr Oliver hasn’t actually committed an offence under UK law. His website doesn’t actually contain any copyrighted material itself, it only links to other sites.

In a very similar preceding case brought against Alan Ellis (Accused of Conspiracy to Defraud the music industry – note not a copyright offence) the prosecution’s case collapsed. It is likely that any case brought against Mr Oliver in the UK would have a similar result. http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/open-enterprise/2011/06/us-abuses-copyright-and-extradition-law-uk-acquiesces/

The case is particularly worrying given the recent e-G8 summit where governments discussed the possibility of regulating the internet. This despite the recent UN report which argued access to the internet was a basic right of expression. http://frostmagazine.com/2011/06/cutting-off-your-internet-could-breach-human-rights-says-un/

 

Londoner's Life 15 – by Phil Ryan

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Well apart from the typical June London weather of pouring rain and blazing heat another London tradition seems to have now embedded itself. The London Food festivals. These extravaganzas are everywhere now it seems. Every borough has its own version. But they seem to follow a distinct pattern. A mixture of great produce and stuff that looks like MI5 should get involved. Weird looking space veg and purple and red oils that wouldn’t look out of place in Dr Frankenstein’s laboratory. And of course the stalls are alternatively manned by nice people who you want to hug and smug people you want to strike with a copper bottomed smirching pan (whatever the hell that is). That’s the issue. It’s just cooking food. But no these folk have elevated it to some permanent game of bizarre food one-upmanship. The oil has to be trammelled or the pan should be crindled. It’s like a whole new language. And of course just like lawyers much of it is designed to part you from your cash.

I saw a bread stall with loaves of bread starting at £10.00. It said stone baked in an ancient bronze age bread oven. To a sixteenth century recipe. What the hell was in it? Platinum flour? The Magna Carta? But if you recall one of my distant columns where I referred to London tribes – I’ve discovered a sub species. The Speciality Food groups. And the Foodie groups have sub species. The Vegetarian bunch where all the women dress in that washed out knackered looking Laura Ashley stuff – always have four small blonde children (the husband always has those faux National Health specs) and everything’s about soya and spelt. The Sunday Supplement bunch – a very different kettle of fish – decidedly jeans and blazers for the men – the women all Zara meets Chanel. And they’re drooling over smoke dried andeluvian reindeer buttocks and guarana leaved wrapped organic pork chops. God bless them‘ They can waste hours knocking up a meal that bears little resemblance to food. But it’s all about textures darling. Hm. I asked for a ham sandwich at one stall and the guy asked me how did I like my ham cut – against the grain or southerly. I said in slices. He almost started crying. Especially when I asked for white bread and Kerry Gold butter.
Had a great moany email about The Tower of London! I could have told them it’s a pointless tourist rip off at £20.00 per head.

For some stupid ‘let’s favour the regions’ type of reasons – the authorities hiked most of the contents up to Leeds years ago. Seriously. The place has got bugger all in it now. You’ve got the Crown Jewels (five minutes of oh look some diamond hats), some ravens (two minutes of aren’t they just crows on steroids?) and those blokes in Red uniforms (Why do they all look slightly drunk?) Oh yes and lots of stone walls (thirty minutes of look how old this wall is). Not exactly a fun packed day for the poor wee mites and their folk you have to admit. They’ve even got signs around the place saying things like ‘here in this room were suits of handmade silver armour’. No armour mind – just a sign. Priceless. But on that subject the tourists are really filling up the place. Just look at the Open top Tour buses. Absolutely full to bursting. And is it me but do none of these companies have uniforms that fit their staff? Just take a look. Half of them seem to be wearing jackets designed for somebody three sizes bigger – or their hats appear to have been glued to their heads as they seem to be play hats for five year old children. If smartness is their aim they’re failing badly. It looks more like each morning the tour bus staff are tossed into a large skip and just pick anything they can find with a company logo on – regardless of size.

My particular favourite London tourist mystery – is the hundreds of grim faced eastern European girls now employed at key historical points to totally confuse the visitor to London. You come for a slice of merry old England and you get some stone faced harpy with no sense of humour who says things like “Zis iss ze very place ze Kink roded his horses. Velcome to ze majesty of zis castle”. Call me old fashioned but shouldn’t they at least get some training? And I mean voice training. Imagine going to see the Great Wall of China and some buffoon pipes up saying “Yeah alright innit dis wall is well speshul. Big old Emperors and all dat stuff you get me”. I guess I’m just too picky. And yes I know they work cheap.

So summer is here(ish) And apart from the usual tube strikes and road closures we have to contend with all the public parks being turned into private event venues. Take Holland Park – it is now a series of semi – permanent Marquees erected for various do’s. I’m told they need the revenue. But the key word overlooked seems to be public parks. Ho hum. But Londoners love their parks public parks. Mainly all the flat dwellers without a garden. And of course that other group. The sun worshippers who whip off most of their clothes at the merest twinkle of sunlight. Nip down to Hyde Park by Bayswater for a real culture clash regarding sunbathing. On the one hand you have the countless young roller-blading girls and boys and fitness freaks in skimpy lycra shorts and no tops worth talking about zapping around the place in the blazing heat and the large groups of burka clad women with huge shades silently sitting on every bench watching them. Weird. But is anyone upset? Is anyone shaken by any of this? No. Of course not. It’s a London thing.

UN Says Cutting Off Your Internet Could Breach Human Rights

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Frank La Rue, the UN Rapporteur for the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of expression, has argued that removing somebody’s internet access deprives them of a basic right.

Mr La Rue presented his report, ‘on global access of the internet as a medium for freedom of expression, to the UN Human Rights Council this week.

In his report Mr La Rue condemned certain proposed and existing government legislation. In particular he singled out the UK’s Digital Economy Act which has a provision to restrict or remove internet access from those breaking copyright laws. His report was particularly concerned with ‘a centralised on/off control over the internet. He said, removing somebody’s internet access is to deprive them of a key component for the basic human right of freedom of expression.

The report comes in the wake of the e-G8 summit in Paris where Mr Sarkozy led discussions on proposals to regulate the internet. Governments worldwide have become increasingly fearful of the power of the internet, particularly in the wake of the Arab spring.

In his opening speech Sarkozy said, ‘the world you represent is not a parallel universe where legal and moral rules and more generally all the basic rules that govern society in democratic countries do not apply.’

But many internet entrepreneurs including Google chairman Eric Schmidt warned governments against attempts at legislation arguing, ‘technology will move faster than governments’.

Sarkozy has faced severe criticism for a recent internet law (the HADOPI law) which he has pushed forward. The law (to be enforced by a new government agency) could see those suspected of illegal file sharing brought before a judge.

Could these new government agencies precipitate a major government crackdown on the internet? While Mr La Rue’s report will be welcomed by many, it will take more than UN reports to ensure the freedom of the internet.

earlier post

Mrs Doyle’s brew up change in Westminster at Tea Time for Change.

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Hundreds of people from across the UK are heading to Westminster to hit back at aid sceptics and urge their MPs not to abandon the world’s poorest people. The mass lobby of politicians, called TEA TIME FOR CHANGE will bring people face to face with their MPs to discuss international development over a cup of tea and ask the government to make the vital changes needed to end global poverty.

Secretary of State for International Development ANDREW MITCHELL, Shadow Secretary HARRIET HARMAN and over 130 other MPs have agreed to meet their constituents over a cup of tea and talk about tackling global poverty with people who care passionately about these issues. www.actionaid.org.uk/tea_time_for_change

ActionAid’s Head of Campaigns, Jenny Ricks, spokesperson for Tea Time for Change said: “Supporters of international development will be using Tea Time for Change to share a cup of tea with their MPs. They’ll be pushing for the changes needed to stop more than a billion people going to bed hungry each night, 1,400 women dying in pregnancy and child birth every day and 72 million children missing out on the chance to go to school.”

To join the event on Thursday June 9, go to www.teatimeforchange.org.uk

First Lady Michelle Obama Gives Voice to Women

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Democratic political consultant Lena Kennedy announced today that First Lady Michelle Obama is attending a fundraising luncheon at the private home of Ann and Robert Hamilton in Pasadena on Monday, June 13. The fundraiser is being organized by Southern California Women For Obama, a local grassroots initiative headed by Kennedy to help women get engaged in the political process and ensure their voice is heard.

“We expect about 500 attendees, a turnout similar to earlier Obama fundraisers we’ve hosted in Pasadena during the presidential campaign,” adds Kennedy.

“We are honored to be one of only two fundraisers the First Lady will attend during her visit to Southern California,” explains Los Angeles business executive and Presidential Partner Teena Hostovich, who is co-chairing the event with Kennedy. “Attendees at our luncheon will be a good cross-section of President Obama’s constituents in Los Angeles, one that is diverse culturally, socially, and economically.”

More than 450 women attended a reception rally hosted at the home of Lesley and Rob Levy on May 15 to kick off President Obama’s re-election campaign and offer women meaning ways to get involved in the political process. Hostovich, who served as the evening’s emcee, introduced various speakers including Congresswoman Judy Chu, John Emerson & Ken Solomon, California Co-Chairs, President Obama National Finance Committee, Eric Bauman, Vice Chair California Democratic Party, Honorable Wendy Greuel, Los Angeles City Controller, and Los Angeles Councilwoman Jan Perry.

The luncheon will begin at 11 a.m. Individual tickets are $1,000. Special $10,000-a-couple tickets are also available, allowing a photo opportunity and private time with the First Lady. For more information, contact Lena Kennedy at 626-765-6206 or email at Lkennedy@LLKAssociates.com.

Londoner's Diary 13 – by Phil Ryan

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Yes, it’s coming up to the great invasion now. Londoners are bracing themselves for the Tourists. We had the Royal Wedding rush, but now June is coming and so is the world.

I generally avoid the centre of town over the next months (I stay out on the leafier fringes). But a very good place to take the pulse of tourism is in our London street markets. Camden in the north and Portobello in the west have now gradually been reduced to a very long shuffle that takes hours to complete. It looks like a scene out of that penguin documentary film – but without the cute voiceover. Great for the stallholders, mind, but not so much fun for the visitors. And to add to that disappointment is the now almost generic nature of much of the goods for sale.

They’re not very London. In fact they seem to be mainly Chinese and Indian in manufacture. Seems weird to me. You fly in from Spain and go home with a Japanese rubber watch, some Indian scarves, some Chinese jewellery and when people ask where you’ve been, you say London! That said, we do have some great young fashion designers in many of the markets, like Spitalfields in the east, who do sell extraordinarily brilliant and authentic London designs. So it’s not all bad.

I particularly like the visitors who buy those tall Union Jack hats with bells on. Come to London, city of great fashion and style. What do you choose – a felt hat that makes you look like a twat! Classic. I think they just get confused by all the choice. But at least they can lose their money gradually in the markets. The attractions are now charging crazy prices. The London Eye, Madame Tussaud’s, The Tower of London, London Zoo. They’re all close to £20 entry. Last time I was at the zoo, I took a monkey and a meerkat home. Well, I wanted my money’s worth.

Frankly, I’m amazed the tourists still come. London is now one of the most expensive cities to visit. And our beloved Mayor is now pointing out that the tourists are all using his Boris bikes. Hardly surprising, they’re all strapped for cash. An oyster card would probably finish them off financially. They’d probably root in the bins except the locals have probably got there first.

And if tourists aren’t baffled and broke enough, it’s charity running/walking/crawling season here in London with a vengeance. You can’t go near a park or open space without finding scores of grinning sweaty folk dressed as nuns or in pink, blue or green, covered in balloons and sprinting at you waving plastic buckets. It’s all very laudable but annoying. I give to charity in my own way. But it’s like a load of highwaymen without any style have been let loose. Every underground station now seems to have a bucket waver in residence and my local high street has posted at least three a day along its length.

It’s like some surreal computer game. You devise strategies. Maximum points. Cross over. Lift your paper and become invisible. Glare wildly. Mutter ‘no thanks’. Get someone in front of you to block them from seeing you. Pretend to answer your phone. Avoid eye contact. Look at the floor. I’m exhausted after a day out!

I’m all for charity, but not when it walks up to you and demands money with cheery menaces. I’d like a central fund I could pay a tenner into once a month. Then all the charities have to fight it out with pillows in a giant mud-filled arena which you have to pay to go into to watch. Brilliant eh? Money and entertainment. Maybe it’ll catch on.

But London is getting crowded with visitors and the tubes are getting to be even more of a nightmare. I love the recent saga of breakdowns and then the accompanying explanations. A bolt fell off and jammed a door open. Signals wouldn’t talk to each other. My favourite: an animal of some kind loose in a tunnel. An animal? What? Bigfoot?

However, I witnessed a pure London moment last week. I was at Finchley Road waiting for a Jubilee line train. On the platform behind him I heard a Metropolitan line train approach. The station announcement proudly said: “Ladies and Gentlemen. The train now arriving on platform three is one of the brand new Metropolitan line trains now in service.” So I turned around and a new shiny and gleaming train pulled in. It was really brand new. Bright paint job. Clear glass in its windows. Modern. Inviting. It looked very nice. Inside there was about 50 happy people, all looking very pleased to be on such a nice shiny and clean train for a change. Some of them stood up to get off.

Meanwhile, people on the platform all looked pretty pleased to see such a nice-looking carriage. You could see it was pretty cool. At last. New trains. Comfortable, wide, air conditioned, a pleasure to travel in. But the doors wouldn’t actually open. So it sat there while various TFL folk appeared and poked it for a bit and then it pulled out. Bizarre. Hapless travellers inside banging on the windows and shouting rude words. Resigned travellers on the platform letting their shoulders drop. It had been a cruel trick. The next train arrived. Old, crammed, dirty but with working doors! Reality restored. When I later got out at Bond Street I asked a TFL bloke about it and he said: “Yeah, the doors are so new they’re sticky and they don’t really open. Give it a year or two and they’ll be fine.” Priceless.

So there you have it. We’re being crowded out with tourists. Prices for attractions are at mortgage levels. The tube doors don’t open. And the streets are full of charity muggers. But do we care? No. It’s a London thing.

G8: Governments Move To Crack Down on Internet Freedoms but Zuckerberg Issues Warning

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It was the opening day of the G8 summit today and one of the main issues on the agenda will be the future of the internet. Governments will discuss how and whether it’s possible to regulate and censor the internet.

Governments have become increasingly worried. China now operates a huge firewall which blocks any internet site with an anti-government line. The power of the internet was evidenced during the Arab spring, where social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, were major factors in causing uprisings and toppling regimes.

The talks also follow the super injunction scandal and British legal crisis. Thousands defied the law and defended the right to free speech using the websites twitter, including a many celebrities such as Dom Jolly, Piers Morgan and Boy George. Even now lawyers may seek to prosecute them. The situation has government’s worried and they may try and clamp down on internet freedoms in the future. This might start with certain regulations on companies such as Twitter, Google and Facebook.

Today Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg warned against any attempt to regulate the internet. He said any interference would damage the internet’s power to spread freedom.

Google leader Eric Schmidt said any regulation wouldn’t be able to keep up with the pace of technology, ‘Technology will move faster than governments, so don’t legislate until you understand the consequences.

J’s thoughts

Whatever the outcome, it is all our duty to defend the right to free speech. The internet is the defining feature of our generation. It is wonderful in many ways and it has done a great deal of good for democracy, knowledge and dare I say peace. It has its darker sides of course but so does any product of humanity.

At some point some our governments will try and control the internet. They will twist it, manipulate it and use it as means to control us. In some cases like China it is already too late. It is all our jobs to stop this from happening.

 

Hillary Clinton Launches "Muslim Civilization" Science Exhibition

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Opening May 27th at the California Science Center with a Special Message

Prof. Salim Al-Hassani, Hillary Clinton, launched an award-winning exhibition about scientific achievements from the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization, with a special video message at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. The 1001 Inventions exhibition, which has attracted more than 1 million visitors over the past year during an international tour, opened for a VIP launch day on May 25th attended by LA County Sheriff Lee Baca and Ambassadors from LA-based foreign consulates.

In her pre-recorded message, Secretary Clinton praised the work of the 1001 Inventions initiative for “celebrating a millennium of science and innovation in the Muslim world,” and described the launch of the exhibition as “an exciting day.”

Mrs. Clinton remarked that “the Muslim world has a proud history of innovators” and highlighted the achievements of pioneers like Fatima Al-Fihri, who founded the world’s first modern university, and master engineer Al-Jazari, who created the crank mechanisms that drive every plane, train and automobile on the planet.

Prof. Salim Al-Hassani, Chairman of 1001 Inventions, commented, “We’re honored that Secretary Clinton agreed to launch our exhibition here at one of the most prestigious science museums in the world. California Science Center has an international reputation for excellence in providing engaging and entertaining science experiences for young and old alike.

“The goal of 1001 Inventions is to highlight the astounding contribution that Muslim civilization has made in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and how those advances still affect our lives today. More than a million people have already visited the 1001 Inventions exhibition during the first year of its global tour and that is the greatest endorsement we could ever hope for.”

The 1001 Inventions exhibition is currently on a five-year global tour, sponsored by ALJ Community Initiatives. Following blockbuster runs in London, Istanbul and New York, it will open to the public at the California Science Center, in Los Angeles, on May 27, 2011 for a seven-month run. The exhibition explores the scientific contributions made by men and women during the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization. Through interactive displays, guests will explore basic science principles that are often taken for granted, in such fields as optics, time-keeping, hydraulics, navigation, architecture and mathematics.

1001 Inventions highlights the contributions of scholars from a diverse region stretching from Spain through China during the 7th to 17th centuries. Visitors will discover how scholars from this region, of various faiths and cultures, preserved, nurtured, and advanced the world’s knowledge in science and technology.

The 1001 Inventions exhibition was recently crowned “Best Touring Exhibition” of the year at the annual Museums and Heritage Excellence Awards in London – considered by many to be the “Oscars” of the Museum world – fighting off stiff competition from some of the world’s biggest names in exhibitions.

Full Text of Secretary Clinton’s Speech

I’m delighted to send greetings to each of you at this year’s 1001 Inventions, celebrating a millennium of science and innovation in the Muslim world. This exhibition honors the remarkable accomplishments of Muslims throughout history. From a woman who founded a University in the ninth century, to a thirteenth century inventor and mechanical engineer, to a surgeon whose writings influenced European medicine for hundreds of years, and so many more.

And of course, we’re looking at the impact of technology in the Muslim world right now as young people throughout the Middle East and North Africa find new ways to use social networking to get organized and to express their aspirations. Connection technologies offer an unprecedented opportunity. A platform through which everyone, from farmers to students to entrepreneurs, can exchange ideas and hatch plans for the world’s next great invention.

But technology does not decide the future. People do. So as this exhibition shows, the Muslim world has a proud history of innovators. Now is the time to tap in to that legacy to harness the power of science and technology, and to create new pathways to prosperity. This is an exciting day and thank you for letting me share it with you.