Defensive Technology | EFF Surveillance Self-Defense Project

If you are looking for basic technical information on how to protect the privacy of your data — whether it’s on your own computer, on the wire, or in the hands of a third party — you’ve come to the right place. Although we hope you’ll have the time to review all of the information in the SSD guide, if you’re in a hurry to get to the technical details, this is where you can read articles that will explain:

Just remember: technology changes quickly. We’ll be doing our best to keep these articles updated to reflect current developments, but in the meantime, you should take the time to review information from multiple sources before making any serious security decisions.

EU plan to spend billions on boosting broadband speeds

EU plan to spend billions on boosting broadband speeds

Eurostar trainThe European Commission hopes fast broadband will boost the economy just as high speed rail does.

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The European Commission is set to propose investing almost €9.2bn (£8bn) in a massive rollout of super-fast broadband infrastructure and services across the European Union.

The plan is partly aimed at stimulating further investment in rural broadband.

It is hoped the initiative will also help to create a single market for digital public services.

The Commission has already set targets for improving the speed of home internet connections across the region.

It aims to get all European households on at least 30 megabits per second (Mbps) by 2020, with half the population enjoying more than 100Mbps, so as to make the continent more competitive and productive.

Economic need

The BBC understands that the EU’s executive body will propose the funding, which would be invested between 2014 and 2020, on Wednesday.

The plan would have to be approved by the European Parliament and the EU’s Council of Ministers if it were to become reality.

“Europe needs these fast broadband networks to allow its economy to become more competitive in the future, and so create more jobs and prosperity,” EU sources said.

“This money would stimulate much greater investment of private and other public money. Each euro [invested by the Commission] would give rise to a further six to 15 euros more.”

At least €7bn of the investment would go to building high-speed broadband networks, with the funding mostly in the form of debt instruments and equity.

The hope is that giving infrastructure projects credibility in this way would encourage the private sector, as well as local and national governments, to invest at least a further €50bn in the rollout.

European Parliament debate on fast broadband from 9 May 2011

The remainder of the Commission’s funding would be parcelled out in grants for projects that could help create a single European market for broadband-based services such as e-health, cybersecurity and intelligent energy networks.

The money would come from a new fund called the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). This proposed fund would also be used for new transport and energy projects, with the Commission and the European Investment Bank absorbing risk and boosting the projects’ credit ratings.

Part of the plan is for the CEF to pressure established telecommunications companies into investing more in their own networks, as they would not be the only ones able to bid for funding.

New players such as water, sewage and electricity utility companies would also be encouraged to enter the broadband game with CEF backing, as would construction firms, cooperatives and public authorities.

Rural boost

A particular objective is to get more money invested in rural broadband. Left to their own devices, telecoms companies often invest less in such areas because they are not as profitable as more densely-populated towns and cities.

While the Commission’s digital agenda is largely about getting citizens on fast connections, it also contains plans to make electronic public services available equally across the continent.

Under the proposals to be unveiled on Wednesday, grants could go to cross-border e-health and electronic procurement services, smart energy networks and coordinated efforts to take down online child pornography.

Other examples of projects that would meet the Commission’s criteria include pan-EU electronic identity schemes, systems that would encourage access to European culture, and multilingual public information services.

The Commission also hopes its plan would immediately create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the construction and telecoms equipment industries, as efforts to install fibre optic cable networks increase with the additional backing.

European funding has already found its way to several fast broadband projects in the UK. Last year the European Regional Development Fund provided £53.5m to aid BT’s next-generation broadband scheme in Cornwall, while £18.5m went to the development of Northern Ireland’s broadband infrastructure, also in collaboration with BT.

UR Definitive Moment…. Daily Dose on the flip side July 18, 2011

“UR”

burn the books they’ve got too many names and psychosis
all this incriminating evidence would surely haunt me
if someone broke into my house
suits in the living room
do you realize guys I was born in 1974 
we’ve got someone here to explain your publishing
we know how much you love to be in front of audiences
hopeful you are
schoolbound you are
naive you are
driven you are
take a trip to new york with your guardian
and your fake identification
when they said “is there something anything
you’d like to know young lady?”
you said “yes I’d like to know what kind of people
i’ll be dealing with”
precocious you are
headstrong you are
terrified you are
ahead of your time you are
don’t mind our staring but
we’re surprised you’re not in a far-gone asylum
we’re surprised you didn’t crack up
lord knows that we would’ve
we would’ve liked to have been there
but you keep pushing us away
resilient you are
big time you are
ruthless you are
precious you are

ALANIS MORISSETTE LYRICS http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/alanismorissette/ur.html

UR http://bit.ly/q6tnto

FRENCHSHUICAFE.COM: Does everybody die? Pépé’s Story, a parable for the soul for humans like you and me.

Does everybody die? Pépé’s Story, a parable for the soul for humans like you and me.

Bonjour!

A few of you already saw the trailer of Pépé’s Story I posted onYoutube at the end of November 2009…

Pépé’s Story: YouTube trailer nov 2009

/vlog/player/flvplayer.swf

Then life happened… Again!

We all know “those days” where all hell break loose. Even moi, your uplifting French Accent! That day was last Thursday… After so much effort from so many people to help me put my home-made DVd for sale on line on my blog, I just understood that it was not technically going to work. And because of a lot of other “stuff” are happening in my life now, I felt miserable, devastated, wishing upon a meteorite to just hit me and paf! Journey over!

I was so sad  for my friend Mike Carriere who worked so hard on editing the beta project, for Pépé, my grandfather who inspired me and pushed me to publish this video, even if he passed “away” a while back, for me… All the incredible artists who contributed like the fantastic Karma Moffett whose music carries the voice over.  I was hearing all my friends who watched the Beta version and wanted me to get it out… Alfredo, Maria, Elisabeth, even Ori in Atlanta who I never met “in real life” and who advised me through Twitter on Thanksgiving day…

Then I meditated more and Laura Iriarte called, and Elisabeth, and Matthieu, then Ron brought me chicken soup and served me a taste of my own medicine, in the “never give up” category!   I remembered what Perrie Burton, my Feng Shui colleague and Australian sister, had told me a while back: “Dec 5th will be your lucky day!”…

So today, December 5th, I re-attacked the problem, helped by another great being and awesome photographer, Jon Rendell. I spent hours torturing every single options of my blog host.  And voilà!!! It is up and running on my brand new e-boutique!

This video that I sell today for a very smal $9.91 by download only to avoid any carbon footprint, is ready for you, ready for anybody you know who is sad because a loved one is journeying through a path we cannot apprehend from this side only. Because death is a passage, a part of life, but it is also, from our human perspective, a rupture in the flow as we know it. And we need to find other approaches to embrace it and alos to help our people going through.

You have no idea what it represents for me to finally give this short story to the world. Closure. The end of a cycle, the beginning of a new venture!  I just wish it will give you the same comforting and soothing healing it gave already to many around me, no matter what they believe in or not.

Pépé’s Story: thoughts & gratitude

/vlog/player/flvplayer.swf

I made it! WE made it! MERCI.

Now please BUY or GIVE  Pépé’s Story download.  
For you it is not even $10 to get a different perspective on death, mourning, guardian angels and reincarnation: maybe a chance to heal an open wound not a bad deal in a holiday time when we miss so much the ones who left… 

Pépé’s Story: thoughts on dying of sickness, not losing a fight and seeing beyond our eyesight.

/vlog/player/flvplayer.swf

For us, on a practical stand point,  1% will be given to the Make a Wish Greater Bay Area Fundation that is run like a love war machine by the fabulous and fun Patricia Wilson. The rest could help me pay some bills in this very cold winter, and buy a bottle of good champagne for Mike and Jon, who worked for free, as everybody else did.

Here is the link with La boutique, that you can also find on the left column of that page. Paypal. Safe. Fast. Easy.

And if somebody knows Oprah, Deepak Choprah or Louise Hay, please let them know about Pépé’s Story . Or let me know. I would love to spread the love further.

We are One. Human. Immortal. Fragile and magical.

Let’s be good and never behave. And watch for the crows around us, they bring news from beyond…

Namaste,
and merci again. You have no idea…

Catherine

Hi Catherine. Yes. Everybody dies. And this reminds me of my own dear sweet Pepe who left me after seventeen years of unconditional love.

I am quite certain he is looking upon us both now and comforting your dear sweet Pepe and that that your Pepe is in the very best company.

Much love to you Catherine, for being a person of action and a voice for those less fortunate than yourself. I see you still have me on your bloggroll after all this time. That gives me such a warm feeling to know that you haven’t forgotten about me through the years.

And I have never forgotten about the beautiful tribute you wrote about me that hot August day when I sat outside the library searching desperately for an apartment on my BlackBerry.

I will never forget that you remembered me at Thanksgiving when I had no food because my assets had been frozen. I will never forget that you gave anonymously because you did it for all the write reasons.

And I am still here, and though I never struck it rich, I am doing 1000 times better than I was that hot August Day.

I just renewed my lease so that Spotty and I have a cool place to chill during the hot summer nights and a warm place to sleep during the dark nights in the winter chill.

We are both here, and we never forget a kindness or a slight. Thank you Catherine, for giving me exactly what I needed today. Inspiration to keep writing through dark.

With love,

Just me,

e

@ElyssaD

Pepe’s Final Gift, The Gift of Goodbye http://bit.ly/bDS0sN

Reality Bytes: Elyssa Lies || ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Elyssa Lies

I am so glad that there are at least a few people out there who remember me from when I was a kid people, and a few people who can identify my body without three DNA blood tests to determine what medical facility would accept me as a transfer. Ever heard of EMTALA people? Ever heard of HIPPA? Ever heard of Patient Dumping? Ask Jim Blumstein, Professor of Law at Vanderbilt Law School or take his course Law 734: Health Law & Policy.

Yes, I ASKED to be committed. I called for help. I said it every single way I knew how, without asking people who were most able to give it.
I never forget a slight, and I am extremely grateful to people who didn’t ask questions or doubt my intentions. I will hold them in my thoughts, and can safely promise that I will never again call upon you for help.

There is something to be said for paying it forward. So to people who actually took the time to physically see if I was okay, and to two very special ladies who brought me clothing after everything I had in my possession was taken away from me… and to the photographer who actually observed my injuries, thank you. I can honestly say that I took one for the team. For the tweeters and twackers who let me know I was alone in my journey… you’re right I wasn’t. You can tweet for peeps without being certifiably nuts. That’s not to say I am not certifiably nuts, but I thinks it rather pretentious for y’all to think that you know my mind better than I do after 36 years. I want to believe that this feel connected to a world filled with hatred, bigotry and violence…. I made it through. And I already paid it forward.

It is pretty clear what I need, and I so tired of people asking why I can’t find one. Have you seen the news? What I need is hot water. What I need is a safe place to go. What I need is the idiot who fucked up my computer to fix the damn thing. I wouldn’t mind having a safe place for Spotty, and a little bit of acceptance. So out of respect for people that I once held in high regard, I chose to take the proper channels. I fed them information without claiming ownership… I sold a news story for $1.00. Kool… I made a dollar last year. That will pay the bills.

There were people I respected and admired, and now see as shallow and insincere. People who are afraid to be associated with someone “like” me? What exactly does that mean anyway? Aren’t you impressed that I’m a Harvard Legacy? Am I not one of the “Chosen People?”

Do you think I am living on a total income of $615.00/month because it is fun?
If you can do better, pleeeeeze let me know…

If I can see somebody else doing it, then maybe I could figure out how to do it myself. I am willing to learn from anyone. Just think of all the valuable lessons Hitler taught us??? Yes, people are sheep.

I learned even your mistakes, so is there nothing of value that I can bring to this community???

Would you like to try going on welfare for three months or so? I think you would enjoy the application process. After all there is nothing quite like it in the world.

So, I was “ordered” not to volunteer, not to call the police if I hear gun shots, because only crazy people call 911 several times in one day. Only thing is, “crazy” people exaggerate the situation, so clearly if I have lived for three years, then I can certainly wait another few months. Really?

I am only allowed to use than 100 words or less in my written correspondence. Thank God for Twitter, it is good training.

BTW (by the way 😉 The Gettysburg Address was only 267 words. Less than two tweets. Granted, I am no Lincoln, but every once in a while, I do say something important.
There is something to be said for brevity, but there is also something to be said about honesty, isolation, and the value of technology for people with disabilities. So let this be my project for “Save The Internet” because Legal Aid thought it was kinda funny when I told them that my Internet was scheduled to be disconnected.
Who needs the internet anyway? Who needs information, access, a forum, a voice??? And even if some tweets make me laugh, is that so bad?? Maybe even a small diversion from reality? Am I not worthy?

I foolishly believed that by volunteering in the community, I would come across a real job with real wages and real benefits. Yeah, that was a great idea.
Don’t worry… I learned my lesson. I will volunteer no more. After all, why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free?

Let it be known I’m a pretty quick study. I am cursed with an exceptionally vivid memory. My cortisol levels have been running low since ‘95. You figure it out. (Robert Sapolsky: Why Zebra’s Don’t Get Ulcers)

I am truly offended by the events that led people to call my family half way around the world and the country, when all they really needed to do was ask me. Not all “kids” are lost… some don’t want to be found.

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/RNwtjiqS7xw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1

Yes, I am reckless, I am loud, I am always right, and I am “out of my mind fucking nuts” also known as “OTWFN: Off The Wall Fucking Nuts” and that is the presumption. Don’t forget, I am very much father’s daughter, and am very much my mother’s alibi. So thanks. Points!

All the better for them because the crazier I am, the less embarrassed they feel. How about some extra credit for their excellent parenting skills.

Crazy? Loud? Different?

Guilty, as charged. I am sooo embarrassed… how dare I post crazy shit like this online? Don’t I know how bazaar that seems? Don’t you? Because let’s face it… there are two possibilities:

(1) I’m telling the truth, and it’s serious,

~or~

(2) I’m NOT telling the truth, and it’s serious.

So for everyone who told me to go home… did you actually think my parents would rush in to rescue me? Sorry, but no. Not my family. Now I’m stuck here, and you are stuck with me.

And for the record, even suggesting that there is “home” to go to… well than YOU haven’t been paying attention.

Don’t you realize I am home?

I find it so hard to believe that after all this time people find it easier to speak around me and actually think that is in my best interests? Sorry, but no.

And, you need not worry— I don’t need to be told twice where I’m not welcome.

I am less than 20 miles from several people who called Philadelphia, only to find that they don’t want me either. Why would they possibly want to have me in their pristine, well-decorated homes when you paint such a lovely picture?

Guess what— I’ have never even seen my father’s home… nor do I expect an invitation to Thanksgiving or Christmas.

So to all the people who “phoned home” to complain about e.d., job well done, you’re stuck with me now.

And since I can’t get a get a job, and I can’t really afford the gas to go anywhere, I don’t think you need to call in a crisis team. I am perfectly happy sitting here by myself listening to my favorite YouTube videos and thinking about everyone else tucked safe and snug in their Ethan Allen beds. Good night to you all… you don’t need to read this, and of course, you can ALWAYS hit delete.

That makes me sick. I never was really was a child, and it is really odd that people would start treating like one now. That is such bullshit, because child support was terminated on August 15, 1988. No other provisions were made, and I earned more money at 14 than I did in the last 10 years out together.

I miss the Barge. I think it is ridiculous that people would complain that I am “embarrassing myself.” At least I’m willing to take ownership of that one… was it less embarrassing to find out my mother contacted my professors and withdrew from classes because I was “too ill” to go to school.

Is any less embarrassing then being left at the airport on Thanksgiving Day? Or told that you do not deserve to go the dentist; that you can’t sleep in the guest room if you have nightmares because you I might ruin the furniture think I actually give a shit about embarrassing myself? Do you think for a second they are counting on it? Did you think for one moment that there might, just, may be a reason I do not want to go home.

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/5EU2GoTp1nE&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1

Is it less embarrassing than having your mother finds you “housing” at a long-term state psychiatric hospital, or being told that you might not have a fill on your soda because it cost $1.00? Is it any less embarrassing than finding out you have a new two months after he was born?

Yeah, I am embarrassed. Send me to Canada PLEEEZE!!!

Yes, I can act crazy. Yes, I may be crazy, and I sure a shit wish I was because there might be a possibility that created all of this “in my head.” It is not normal to have 43 addresses on file. It is not normal to care more about a cat than any single human alive. So, no, I am not normal, but does that make me bad? Does it make me dangerous? Does it want being told to “leave town” or take my own my own life so that society is not burdened by caring for me financially? Well, guess what— I do not really care anymore, and there been many times in my life where I would rather not be alive, I refuse to let “them” Not like that.

So for so many people who have silenced me before, keep in mind I am NOT psychotic. And I am definitely mot “normal”

I am done. I so “over it” by now that if your embarrassed by my actions then you are giving me way too much power. I can own my behavior, and I can accept my feelings. And I think you need to do the same.

But I will not live in fear for the rest the of my life. And if I do get evicted tomorrow, so be it. It won’t be the first time. And if you’re really lucky, there will some great new books donated to the public library. Yes, I AM ANGRY. Anger is a very strong emotion that is key to motivational theory. So yes, I am angry AND I am motivated.

According at my mother, the lovely little creature that she is for blameing for all her her failed marriages, and uses me as an excuse trying to get sympathy from others. She also was evicted from childhood homes in Cherry Hill, Lawrence, Great Neck (North and South) and yes, of course, that was somebody else’s fault too.

Apparently it was all my stepmother’s fault. Nice. At least their mother would not allow them to be thrown away with each new boyfriend, tummy tuck, Jaguar or diamond ring.

So aren’t you guys glad you called my parents because now you’re stuck with me, my medical bills, and student debt. Isn’t that special? I came here to WORK. I came here to be a part of something. I came here to leave the past behind me. I filled my long nights volunteering at the Family Shelter. I spent my days sleeping in four-hour shifts, and hoping that my oh-so-vivid dreams might actually be pleasant for just one night.

But I’ve been keeping notes. I’m paying attention to the rules and I’m paying attention to the news. It is not so random, and it not so crazy.

Yes I have filed appeals, but that’d getting old since no one bothers to follow up. What the ~ is wrong with THAT picture?????

All I can say is this, I tried. I tried damn hard. But ya know, crazy is, crazy does.

Aren’t you guys lucky to have me? This is my home. This WAS my home. Thanks for making me feel so welcome.

e.d. over and out.

Now take your best hit, assholes!