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Hurray for “democracy”…

This hacker did nothing wrong. Consider this:

Also, what justification do they have to send this person to Guantanamo? Is he now a terrorist. If anything, he should begiven some form of award. Anonymous101^talk 19:38, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

How can a Hacker get 60 years, and murderer gets 20 years, and a rapist gets 2 years,and so on. It doesn’t make sense. If a hacker doesn’t kill/rape, or otherwise hurt a human or an animal, then he shouldn’t be punished. If I were NASA I would have congratulated the guy for finding holes in the system, and attempted to convince him that all this UFO conspiracy theories are nonsense.

Computers, cell phones, the internet, cars, and even money are toys we humans have invented, so why in the world do we punish people for these?!

Without hackers we would have no internet, no linux, no bsd, no e-mail, etc.

Look up the hacker ethic, and read books like Hackers Heroes of The Computer Revolution, or 2600 Magazine, you will that hackers are not evil people. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.228.57.113 (talk) 22:29, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Oh, and by the way, it is hackers who care about your privacy, that is why they give you GPG and Tor, and EFF, because they care about privacy. If a corporation would care about your privacy they wouldn’t collect information about you. I know I won’t collect information with my company.

But then again there is a big difference between individual privacy and group privacy, as there is between individual freedom and group freedom. Personally I want to have privacy as individual and to communicate privately with my friends, but when a big entity such as a corporation or church has privacy bad things could happen, remember the dungeons of the Inquisition, even after they supposedly stopped? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.228.57.113 (talk) 22:36, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

I agree that the Government should reveal as much information as possible, however Military information is different. Strategic information gives an advantage in any military conflict and is therefore closely guarded; his breaking into that does endanger human lives. What really irritates me is that it’s such a profoundly stupid reason. UFO coverups indeed, even with all the information that exists to show that little green men aren’t collaborating with the US government to probe their citizens; people STILL believe that. I’ve entertained the notion that the belief that the government is collaborating with aliens should be a prosecutable offense simply because it’s so silly. But yes, he endangered human lives by tampering with military systems and I see why the prosecuting lawyers are so very upset. Also, while all those hackers that have been set as examples did PGP and whatnot, NONE of them hacked and tampered with military systems. None. Because it endangers the lives of one’s countrymen if you’re a citizen and it provokes international incidences if you’re not. I think this is an excessive punishment but I find it hard to really work up indignation on this guy’s behalf. –131.181.251.66 01:13, 1 August 2008 (UTC)

i can’t believe im reading this.so he hacked into a few computer systems big deal its not like he embezeled large amounts of cash or killed someone so whats all this talk about guantanamo and severe jail time.nonsence they should offer him a job in security!

Hackers have been given a bad name, and it is by governments overreacting and the tabloids exaggerating that had given them such a bad name. Most of the computerised systems we have in the modern world wouldn’t exist without hackers. 12:48, 3 August 2009 (UTC)~

Did the hacker really expect to get away with this? Hacking into secret files puts not only soldier’s lives in danger, but the public’s as well. There is a reason these files are secret! — Poe Joe (Talk) 03:57, 1 August 2008 (UTC)

It was another proof that the country in question is Evil, and;

Must be invaded. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.193.165.236 (talk) 07:39, 1 August 2008 (UTC)

I believe that he does not deserve a jail term. He was obviously highly interested in UFOs and believed that the United States were doing a cover up. He used his inititive and intellect to find information out. It is of course, a matter of national security, however, the law against hackers is new and hard to define. Has he actually stolen anything, has he harmed anyone? A possible reason for his high amount of sentencing, as with many hacker cases, is the embarresment caused. The fact that one person can discover the secrets of hundreds of government databases protected by thousands by simply sitting at a computer. Perhaps some justice should be used, however, throwing him in prison is a waste of intelligence. Recently, the U.S. and South Korea came under cyber attack. Would it not be much more beneficial for everyone to simply offer him the alternative of having to help the United States uncover the culprit behind these cyber attacks and help to reinforce the governments security? 12:41, 3 August 2009 (UTC)~

Thursday, February 21, 2008 

In Serbia’s capital Belgrade protesters have broken into the United States embassy, and have set fire to an office, which is now extinguished. The break-in followed massive protests against Kosovo’s independence that was declared last Sunday. A couple of hundreds of thousands protested in front of the parliament building in Belgrade when masked attackers broke into the building and tried to throw office-furniture out the windows. Estimations of a number of protesters vary between 150.000 and 2 millions.

Around 18:00, after the relay, a couple hundred rioters went to Kneza Milosa Street where the US embassy is located. At 18:15 they demolished a part of the embassy and burned it. They also attacked the Croatian embassy, which is around 100 meters from the US embassy on the same street. Around 19:00 police came and clashed with the rioters using tear gas. Riots were all over downtown Belgrade. As of 22:00 the situation was under control but there are still some riots in other streets.

The tear gas polluted a couple blocks, about 350 meters up to Vra?ar hill.

The nearby Croatian embassy was also attacked. Rocks were thrown at the Canadian embassy building. This could be due to the fact that Canada has not said yet if it recognises Kosovo. Embassies of Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, United Kingdom and Germany were also attacked.

One person was found dead at the ground floor of US embassy, around 150 people were injured, including 35 policemen. Around 100 rioters were arrested.

Dirk-Jan Visser, a photo-reporter for the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad was attacked by rioters. People helped him escape, and he has been taken into hospital with broken bones. He is expected to be kept in hospital until the next day. Ambulances and medical cars were called to the scene to help injured people and protesters, some cars were attacked.

Andrey Fyodorov and Andrey Pavlov, journalists of Russia Today, were also heavily attacked during the riots.

Two McDonald’s restaurants on squares Terazije and Slavija were attacked. The restaurant on Slavija has been heavily damaged. Kiosks, stores and banks were robbed all over the centre of Belgrade. The protesters tried to attack radio/television station B92 but police had the scene under control.

“As long as we live, Kosovo is Serbia,” Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica told the crowd from a stage in front of the old Yugoslav parliament building in Belgrade, “We’re not alone in our fight. President Putin is with us”. A huge banner reading “Kosovo is Serbia” draped the front of the building.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called out to the Serbian government to protect the U.S. Embassy. He said the U.S. ambassador was at his home and was in contact with U.S. officials.

The United States was one of the first countries, with the United Kingdom, France and Germany to recognize Kosovo as an independent state. Serbia however regards Kosovo as a province and is backed up in this by Russia, China and numerous other countries, including some European Union member states. Kosovo is 90% ethnic Albanian, with in the north a minority of ethnic Serbians. Belgrade has, however, not been in control over the Kosovo area since 1999, when United Nations took control.

High representative of the Serbian Radical Party, Aleksandar Vucic, said that “those who provoked Serbian people are equally responsible for destruction as rioters are.” President of Serbia Boris Tadic and President of the National Assembly Oliver Dulic and other ministers called on peace.

Saturday, March 14, 2009 

Rico Daniels is a British TV presenter living in France who is known for his two television series — The Salvager — whilst he still lived in the UK and then Le Salvager after he moved to France. Rico has been in a variety of jobs but his passion is now his profession – he turns unwanted ‘junk’ into unusual pieces of furniture. Rico’s creations and the methods used to fabricate them are the subject of the Salvager shows.

Rico spoke to Wikinews in January about his inspiration and early life, future plans, other hobbies and more. Read on for the full exclusive interview, published for the first time:

Wikinews How was it you first came to be interested in salvaging?

I grew up in Basildon New Town very close to the enormous spoil heap that later became the green hills of Gloucester Park. There was all sorts of stuff dumped by developers and local businesses that was pure treasure trove to all the London kids that had moved down there. I suppose I was actively seeking play material from as young as 5 I suppose. My dad had big plans for me and tended to buy me “educational” stuff for Xmas. Things like encyclopaedias, microscope, chemistry set. That sort of stuff. Great for the brain but not what you’d call a toy. I ended up playing with my dad’s tools and using whatever I could drag off the spoil heap as material.

WN What makes ‘good’ rubbish, and how do you tell it apart from other junk?

I dont look at junk as junk. To me its raw material like any other but with added benefits. I like to preserve the patina of age and sometimes decay where it brings an interesting element to a build. Faded paintwork and oxidised metal are dripping with history and add shedloads of character to anything they’re included in. Materials obviously have to be sound and usable otherwise you’d just be using crap to make more crap.

WN What differences are there between salvaging in your home of France and back here in Britain, and what simply doesn’t change when you cross the border?

The advantages of France as a source of build material is that there are so many more opportunities to chance on stuff that may be 2 or even 3 centuries old. Hand made hinges and latches, ancient oak boards etc. My favourite hunting places are the ashes of old farmers fires . I pull out astonishingly interesting bits of hand forged ironwork. The thing that stays constant from one country to the other is that people can have amazingly good stuff but see little or no value in it leaving the field wide open for anyone that has a little vision.

WN You say on your website that you are working on an idea for a new show. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

Theres not much I can say about doing a new show apart from the fact that whatever I did I would insist on retaining my integrity. My shows have all been optimistic and upbeat which I would have thought the essential ingredients of any TV to take us through a recession. Don’t think I could do the nasty vote -the -others off type show. I certainly wouldn’t be happy adhering to the clicheed scripts so many celebs seem happy to stick to and you will never see Rico Daniels wearing a frock on the Paul O Grady show. Seems a step too low for a bit of cash.

WN When you go out looking for materials, presumably you never know what you’re going to find. When you look at what’s available, how do you come up with a vision of what you’re going to make from it?

The best work I do grows over time. I have hundreds of galvanised boxes full of “components”. I like assembling the elements of a build to be like a piece of art. TV demands a faster pace than I normally like which was fun though at some point I would like people to see what can really be created with a bit of care and careful planning.

WN You are also into a bit of axe throwing, I understand. Do you ever do this competitively?

My axe throwing which has been more implied than seen was something that I started doing at “western” camps in Germany. It was organised as a competition there hitting a range of targets on marked posts. I use it now as a way of letting off steam. I also throw circular saw blades usually at a target I call WMD Tony. Chills you right out.

WN As you rightly mentioned when you announced your new show concept, it is very hard to get a hold of money these days in any sizable amount – people are holding on to it. What effect has this got on salvaging – will it encourage it as people look for alternatives, or will the supply of cheap materials be decreased?

I have always found an increase in the amount of stuff available in a recession. A lot more people turn to DIY, ripping out salvageable stuff that a man such as myself could use. I have seen tons of good gear as Ive been going round London over the last fortnight. It broke my heart to leave it in the skips.

WN Between writing for Brit Chopper magazine and customizing your jeep, you clearly enjoy the open road. What do you look for in a vehicle? Given the chance to have any one ride you wanted, what would you be driving?

As far as vehicles, go, the Jeep Wrangler presses all the right buttons for me. It is totally suited to the area I live and though an accursed 4×4 I plan my trips carefully to do as many things on a single journey as possible. I would lay money that I create less CO2 than a lot of eco drivers in “green” vehicles and what I do create I hope is being absorbed by the huge number of maturing trees I planted on my own land. I would like to build a trike for France though the French law is difficult in respect of a custom vehicle. Hopefully there will be a way through the red tape and I can get one under way. I also have an emergency 250 in the barn that so aint as harley I ain’t gonna dignify it with a description.

The GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) is a U.S. Air Force, precision-guided, 30,000-pound (13,608 kg) “bunker buster” bomb.^[2] This is substantially larger than the deepest penetrating bunker busters previously available, the 5,000-pound (2,268 kg) GBU-28 and GBU-37.

In 2002, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin were working on the development of a 30,000-lb (13,600 kg) earth-penetrating weapon, said to be known as “Big BLU”. But funding and technical difficulties resulted in the development work being abandoned. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, analysis of sites that had been targeted with bunker-buster bombs revealed poor penetration and inadequate levels of destruction.^{[citation needed]} This renewed interest in the development of a super-large bunker-buster, and the MOP project was initiated by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to fulfill a long-standing Air Force requirement.^[3]

The U.S. Air Force has not officially recognized specific military requirement for an ultra-large bomb, but it does have a concept for a collection of massively sized penetrator and blast weapons, the so-called “Big BLU” collection, which includes the MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Burst) bomb. Development of the MOP was performed at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida with design and testing work performed by Boeing. It is intended that the bomb will be deployed on the B-2 bomber, and will be guided by the use of GPS.^[4][5]

Northrop Grumman announced a $2.5-million stealth-bomber refit contract on 19 July 2007. Each of the U.S. Air Force’s B-2s is to be able to carry two 14-ton MOPs.^[6][7]

The initial explosive test of MOP took place on 14 March 2007 in a tunnel belonging to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

On 6 October 2009, ABC News reported that the Pentagon had requested and obtained permission from the U.S. Congress to shift funding in order to accelerate the project.^[8][9] It was later announced by the U.S. military that “funding delays and enhancements to the planned test schedule” meant the bomb would not be deployable until December 2010, six months later than the original availability date.^[10]

The project has had at least one successful Flight Test MOP launch.^[11] The final testing will be completed in 2012.^[3]

The Air Force took delivery of 20 bombs, designed to be delivered by the B-2 bomber, in September 2011. In February 2012, Congress approved $81.6 million to further develop and improve the weapon.^[12]

On 7 April 2011, the USAF ordered eight MOPs plus supporting equipment for $28 million.^[13]

On 14 November 2011, Bloomberg reported that the Air Force Global Strike Command started receiving the Massive Ordnance Penetrator and that the deliveries “will meet requirements for the current operational need”.^[14] The Air Force now has received delivery of 16 MOPs as of November 2011.^[15] And as of March 2012, there is an “operational stockpile” at Whiteman Air Force Base.^[16]

In 2012, the Pentagon requested $82 million to develop greater penetration power for the existing weapon.^[1] A 2013 report stated that the development had been a success,^[17] and B-2 integration testing began that year.^[18]

MOP being offloaded in preparation for its first explosive test, 2007.

MOP underground at White Sands Missile Range before its first explosive test, 2007.

Mock up of MOP inside a bomb bay of a B-2 simulator, 2007.^[6]

B-52 releases a MOP during a weapons test, 2009.

On 25 June 2010, USAF Lt. Gen. Phillip Breedlove said that the Next-generation Penetrator Munition should be about a third the size of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator so it could be carried by affordable aircraft.^[19] In December 2010, the USAF had a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the Next Generation Penetrator (NGP).^[20]

Global Strike Command has indicated that one of the objectives for the Next-Generation Bomber is for it to carry a weapon with the effects of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. This would either be with the same weapon or a smaller weapon that uses rocket power to reach sufficient speed to match the penetrating power of the larger weapon.^[21]

One of the current limitations of the MOP is that it lacks a void-sensing fuze and will therefore detonate after it has come to a stop, even if it passed by the target area.^[22]

Sunday, November 5, 2006 

Figures released by Simon Power, law and order spokesman for the National party, show that the New Zealand Labour led government lets 81% of all prisoners not do any work while in prison. Newspaper, Sunday News says that some Christchurch prisoners have been given a barbecue for good behavior.

Simon Power’s figures show that of the 7,612 prisoners only 19% (1,470) of them took part in Corrections Inmate Employment during 2006. But in 2005 it was at 23% and in 2004 it was at 26%. He says that the prisons with the least amount of inmates working are: Rolleston with 8.6%, Mount Eden with 8.7%, Rimutaka with 11%, Christchurch Women’s with 13.5% and Dunedin with 13.8%. Mr Power said: “These figures are an appalling indictment on this Government’s approach to prisoner rehabilitation and preparing them for release.”

“In May, Corrections Minister Damien O’Connor announced a strategy that he said would help in ‘significantly increasing the number of prisoners in work and training. But a week later this was shown to be nothing more than window dressing when the Budget increased funding for prisoner employment by a measly $336,000 – up 1%.”

“They have cut funding [on the Corrections Department] by 27% since 2001/02, from $46.5 million to $34 million.”

Mr Power blames the low work rate on the big prison construction budget of $490 million. “There would have been more than a miserable $336,000 extra to spend on effective rehabilitation and work schemes,” he said.

“[Mr O’Conner] seems happier to spend $11 million on landscaping four new prisons and allow prisoners to sit around playing Playstations and Xboxes on their flat-screen TVs than he is about helping them get better prepared for when they are released.”

“Prisoners should be doing meaningful work, training or study while they are in prisons, and I imagine the public would agree,” Mr Power added.

Mr Power, commenting on the barbecue, said: “These people are in prison because they were found to be in serious breach of the law. The victims of their crimes will be grossly offended by the idea that they are being rewarded for anything. This is the just the latest in a long line of incredibly bad decisions made by the Corrections Department over the past year and taxpayers have had enough.”

Bevan Hanlon, president for the Corrections Officers Association, said: “The Mobsters getting a BBQ was a “joke”. (Christchurch Prison) staff are reporting the smell of dope every day. Mobsters are threatening staff on a daily basis and there appears to be high cellphone use (mobile phones are banned in jail). So what happens? They are given a BBQ.”