'Dropstitch Dot' attempted to arrest Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan who "fled the scene"

According to The Northern Star on 25 October 2016:

“Nanna Dot Moller, known to many as 'Dropstitch Dot' performed the 'arrest' handing a Kevin Hogan impersonator the warrant along with a list of the charges as the man himself had fled the scene.”

The police did not look amused after being called to the protest event at the Nationals MP’s Lismore office on 24 October 2016.

The very, very threatening Northern Rivers contingent of the Knitting Nannas and a NSW police officer in imminent danger of ‘hardware’ overload on his uniform

“According to Nanna Twomey the protest is related to off-shore processing and protecting the environment.

"We are protesting against the children in detention as well as the way that they've treated our land," she said.

She also claims that MPs no longer represent citizens.”

Essential Research vs Morgan Research on Australian support levels for "Muslim immigration"

Image from 4plebs.org thread of

The Australian 21 September 2016

Roy Morgan Research, 26 October 2016:

In stark contrast to the widely reported Essential Research Poll in mid-September that claimed Australians opposed Muslim Immigration 49% cf. 40%, independent research by Roy Morgan shows Australians continue to support Muslim immigration (58% cf. 33%) as well as Asylum Seeker Immigration (66% to 25%).

Five weeks ago, Australians were bombarded with the news that we, as a nation, or the majority of us, did not want Muslims coming into the country – based on a poll by Essential Research.

I said at the time, in several interviews (Listen to radio interview with 2SER), that we believed it was highly unlikely that these results were true.  Roy Morgan surveys over several years from 2010 to 2015, showed majority support for Muslims, refugees and others immigrating to Australia. We believed it highly unlikely that sentiment would have changed so dramatically. The latest Roy Morgan Research showed indeed Australians continue to support Muslim Immigration, albeit with a reduced majority.

It is crucial that public opinion surveys on such important issues as this are independent and conducted with a sample which is truly representative of the Australian population.

The increasingly prevalent use of internet surveys using ‘Commercial panels’ of respondents is extraordinarily dangerous. ‘Commercial panels’ are typically recruited in a variety of ways – opt-in, competitions, acquired email lists etc. The size of the ‘Commercial panel’ can never make up for the unknown and unknowable biases.

We see it as a little like the ‘sub-prime’ fiasco in the US that was at the heart of the Global Financial Crisis. Combining large quantities of ‘high risk’ mortgages into packages and re-labelling them didn’t make them any less risky.

When it comes to sampling the Australian population – combining ‘highly skewed’ lists of people doesn’t magically create a representative sample representing a cross-section of Australians.

Roy Morgan conducted this latest survey, and previous waves of the research, at our own cost because we believe it is important the people of Australia are accurately represented on an issue of such social, human and moral importance.

Click here to see the full results of the latest Roy Morgan survey on attitudes to immigration and population.

Roy Morgan Research, 25 October 2016:

Muslim Immigration

Support for Muslim immigration is down 7% from a year ago (65% support in October 2015), although it is up 4% from July 2010 (54% support).

Importantly, a majority of L-NP supporters (51% support cf. 36% oppose), ALP supporters (67% support cf. 25% oppose), Greens supporters (88% support cf. 5% oppose) and supporters of Independents/ Others (58% support cf. 34% oppose) all support Muslim immigration.

However, the overwhelming majority of One Nation supporters are opposed to Muslim immigration (87% opposed cf. 4% support).

Immigration Levels & Population

Now 40% (up 3%) of Australians support immigration remaining about the same and a further 21% (down 11%) want to see immigration levels increased; this constitutes a clear majority of Australians 61% (down 8%) who support immigration remaining the same or increasing while 34% (up 8%) want immigration levels reduced and 5% (unchanged) can’t say.

Australians are split on the effect of immigrants on Australia’s culture and way of life: However, there has been a negative shift in the last year – back to lower than recorded in 2010. 32% (down 5%) of Australians believe immigration has a positive effect on Australia; 32% (up 1%) believe immigration has a negative effect while 25% (up 6%) believe immigration has little effect and 11% (down 2%) can’t say.

Most Australians want relatively moderate population growth – 34% (up 2%) want a population under 30 million in 2046, and only 24% (down 6%) want a population of 35 million or more. This is a shift away from growth levels that were seen as acceptable a year ago – but nowhere near the 2010 levels when 56% wanted a population under 30 million in the year 2040.

Twitter takedown and court cases over the seas in Clinton & Trump Land

Lumen (formerly Chilling Effects) database record of a takedown request which saw a tweet removed and a Twitter account suspended:

DMCA Takedown Notice (Tweet)

SENDER

Kaj Eriksen Inc.

[Private], , ,Sent on October 23, 2016

RECIPIENT

Twitter

[Private]San Francisco, CA, 94103, US

Received on October 23, 2016

SUBMITTER

Twitter, Inc.

ALLEGEDLY INFRINGING URLS:

https://t.co/FaGCCC5x3X

https://twitter.com/liberalsexposed/status/790220186829791232

The Twitter hashtag timeline the offending tweet was posted in was probably #LiberalsExposed which is a thread focussing on the current U.S. presidential election.

JUSTIA Dockets and Filings:

Kittos v. Donald J. Trump For President, Inc. et al  [Former refugee sues Trump campaign]

Plaintiff David Kittos alleged that Defendants Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., Donald Trump, Sr., Donald Trump, Jr. and Michael Pence used an authorized copy of his photograph in a campaign advertisement in violation of the Copyright Act. Specifically, Defendant Donald Trump, Jr. tweeted the plaintiff's photograph with this accompanying text: "[i]f I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you. Would you take a handful? That's our Syrian refugee problem."

Plaintiff: David Kittos

Defendant: Donald J. Trump For President, Inc., Michael Pence, Donald Trump, Jr., Donald Trump, Sr. and Does 1-10

Case Number: 1:2016cv09818

Filed: October 18, 2016

Court: Illinois Northern District Court

Office: Chicago Office

County: XX Outside US

Presiding Judge: Gary Feinerman

Nature of Suit: Copyright

Cause of Action: 17:501 Copyright Infringement

Jury Demanded By: Plaintiff

Benaissa v. Keep America Great Pac [Democrat PAC fundraiser being sued by US surgeon over allegations found in this August 2016 political media release]

Plaintiff: Rafik Benaissa

Defendant: Keep America Great Pac, Francesca Lucia, Jon Cooper, Nathan Lerner, Scott Dworkin, Chuck Westover and Jarad Geldner

Case Number: 1:2016cv07796

Filed: October 5, 2016

Court: New York Southern District Court

Office: Foley Square Office

County: NewYork

Presiding Judge: Gregory H. Woods

Nature of Suit: Assault, Libel, and Slander

Cause of Action: 28:1332

Jury Demanded By: Plaintiff

Doe v. Trump et al [Allegations of sexual assault of a child said to have occurred in 1994]

Defendant: Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey E. Epstein

Plaintiff: Jane Doe

Case Number: 1:2016cv07673

Filed: September 30, 2016

Court: New York Southern District Court

Office: Foley Square Office

County: XX Out of State

Presiding Judge: Ronnie Abrams

Nature of Suit: Assault, Libel, and Slander

Cause of Action: 28:1332

Jury Demanded By: Plaintiff

Peterson v. Clinton et al [Democrat PAC fundraiser and Hillary Clinton being sued]

Defendant: Hillary Rodham Clinton, DNC Services Corporation and USA

Plaintiff: Harold Peterson

Case Number: 1:2016cv00429

Filed: September 23, 2016

Court: New Hampshire District Court

Office: Concord Office

Presiding Judge: Joseph N. Laplante

Nature of Suit: Civil Rights: Other

Cause of Action: 28:2201 Declaratory Judgment

Jury Demanded By: None

Allister v. Rodham Clinton et al [Self-described “Aspiring President of The United States” sues 26 people/institutions (including presidential candidate Hillary Clinton) and goes down in flames on 13 December 2016]

Plaintiff: Sonja M. Allister

Defendant: Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Benjamin Carson, Catherine Parrish Carpenter Andrews, Kevin Matthew Andrews, Emily McCormick, Bowdre George Longo, Roswell Police Department, C. T. Jackson, Shelby Sanford, Lynn Apt, Roswell Police Department Group, The City of Atlanta, Kasim Reed, Alpharetta Police Department, Peachtree City Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, East Point Police Department, College Park Police Department, Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, GA, The City of Alpharetta, The City of Peachtree, The City of Roswell and The State of Georgia

Case Number: 1:2016cv03273

Filed: August 31, 2016

Court: Georgia Northern District Court

Office: Atlanta Office

County: Fulton

Presiding Judge: Richard W. Story

Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights

Cause of Action: 42:1983

Jury Demanded By: None

The Desperation Of Barnaby Joyce: letter publicly released at a cost to Australian taxpayers of an est. $293 per word plus legal fees

Barnaby Joyce letter by FairfaxPolitics on Scribd

https://www.scribd.com/document/328667010/Barnaby-Joyce-letter

The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 October 2016:

Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon has fought for the release of the letter, which was emailed directly to Mr Joyce and Tony Abbott's former head of department Michael Thawley, since the independent Information Commissioner ruled it should be made available.

Mr Joyce's department fought that ruling, spent $80,000 on engaging Ernst & Young to review its public information processes, and then fought the matter through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal before giving up the fight just after Parliament rose for two weeks on Friday.

"This letter shows Paul Grimes was deeply concerned about Barnaby Joyce's behaviour. He was challenging Joyce's integrity," Mr Fitzgibbon said on Monday.

"He clearly thought what Joyce did was not appropriate. This letter indicates he was being bullied.

"What Barnaby Joyce did was to sack Paul Grimes to save himself."

The Deputy Prime Minister's office stressed that Mr Joyce did not sack Mr Grimes, rather Mr Abbott asked him to stand aside on advice of Mr Thawley.

It remains dangerous to be a woman in Australia

Destroy the Joint

18 October at 17:05 

Destroyers, this has been a devastating week, as we watch the death toll of women rise.

Within 24 hours of our last post, we bring news of another life lost to violence against women. We also believe the reported evidence is now strong enough to post on two tragedies we have been monitoring for days.

That is four reported deaths within a week. Four. And nine – nine - over the last month.

Our sad record honouring all known deaths in 2016 now stands at 59.

Read more here.

Just because it is beautiful.........(15)

Peacock Spider  - male
Maratus volans
Native to Australia
Credit: Jürgen Otto

Coastal Peacock Spider

Maratus speciosus

Native to West Australia

https://youtu.be/d_yYC5r8xMI

Just who should be responsible for the minefield that the Internet of Things has become?

“IoT Growing Faster Than the Ability to Defend It”

The IoT is a vast and growing virtual universe that includes automobiles, medical devices, industrial systems and a growing number of consumer electronics devices. These include video game consoles, smart speakers such as the Amazon Echo and connected thermostats like the Nest, not to mention the smart home hubs and network routers that connect those devices to the internet and one another.

[Scientific American, 26 October 2016]

I believe the world of IoT offers incredible opportunities for human advancement. It also has a dark shadow side. We can do amazing things with connected devices that will change the world, but connecting all these devices also lays us open to a myriad of potential dangers. We must take these dangers seriously, and even more so, we must take our responsibility to ensure IoT security seriously.

[Forbes, 26 October 2016]

Because IoT is a new field, it's dominated by companies that don't have the same mindset as the manufacturers of mission-critical servers—and that can spell trouble. "Very often, the creators of smart gadgets are small startups," says KeepSolid CTO Vasyl Diakonov, "and they don’t have resources or knowledge to build out sophisticated security."

Ben Desjardins, director of security solutions at Radware, specifically calls out the software end of the equation. "The most challenging aspect of this," he says, "is that many of the IoT devices are being manufactured by organizations that are new to software development, and are likely to have more vulnerable code and immature patch management processes."

[CSOonline, 12 October 2016], 

Hot on the heels of Internet users learning that for years the tech world has been quietly releasing onto the market an unknown number of devices of various kinds that contain serious security vulnerabilities and/or malware so that the Internet of Things (IoT) is now a minefield for the average person, we find that some in the IT world would like us to believe it is now our fault entirely if we unknowingly purchase and use one of these critically flawed products.

Dark Reading, 26 October 2016:

Imagine an Internet with multiple levels of security that users need to earn.

Someone has to clean the house, shovel the walk, and mow the lawn. As we grow to adulthood, we realize that this person is us. We either do it ourselves, or we have to earn enough to pay someone else to do it. The Internet has reached a point where we need to take responsibility for our own actions to clean it up.

Many aspects of life present this onus of individual responsibility; there are benefits when we do our part, and consequences when we don’t. Drive responsibly and you can get a discount on your car insurance. Don’t mow your lawn, and in many communities you will get billed when the municipality does it for you.

The Internet if full of opportunities for us to affect others by our actions. Unsecured computers can be used as bots for spam and denial-of-service attacks. Downloaded malware can infect other systems nearby because we are inside a trusted environment. We have tried to educate people on the importance of protecting devices, not clicking on shiny but suspicious links, and other responsible behaviors, with limited effect. What if we took a different approach?

Imagine an Internet with multiple levels of security that users need to earn. Level zero means a person does nothing, and so has limited access to services because their computer is probably infected. Many corporations work this way on their internal networks, restricting access of devices that are unknown or do not have a minimum set of security defenses. Restrictions could be based on inexperience -- akin to what many countries do with driver’s licenses -- or personal habits, which often affect life insurance premiums.

I’m sorry, but with even the government-subsidised hearing aids supplied to pensioners in Australia having a digital component which can transmit and receive, this still inchoate push to make eighty year-olds as morally or legally responsible for hacking and denial of service attacks as the manufacturers of everything from digital doorbells and cameras through to wheelchairs and mobile phones is one that should be vigorously resisted.

"Let the buyer beware" should not be used as an excuse for the technology community to continue its sometimes sloppy research, design and manufacturing processes or fail to alert the public to/correct known product security flaws.

All manufacturers and vendors need to be totally honest with consumers, draw attention to the fact that the product has a digital component, make the limitations of their devices known at point of sale and supply clear information on security/software update requirements.

This is clearly not happening across the board with the Internet of Things right now and a higher level of consumer protection is needed.