This is The Haven in Tynemouth, North Tyneside, UK. The river isn't that big but my post title has a double meaning about a song lamenting the death of industry on the river.

Check out the URL - is this not a phishing scam?

Obligatory Libertarian Police Department ::: spoiler spoiler

I was shooting heroin and reading “The Fountainhead” in the front seat of my privately owned police cruiser when a call came in. I put a quarter in the radio to activate it. It was the chief.

“Bad news, detective. We got a situation.”

“What? Is the mayor trying to ban trans fats again?”

“Worse. Somebody just stole four hundred and forty-seven million dollars’ worth of bitcoins.”

The heroin needle practically fell out of my arm. “What kind of monster would do something like that? Bitcoins are the ultimate currency: virtual, anonymous, stateless. They represent true economic freedom, not subject to arbitrary manipulation by any government. Do we have any leads?”

“Not yet. But mark my words: we’re going to figure out who did this and we’re going to take them down … provided someone pays us a fair market rate to do so.”

“Easy, chief,” I said. “Any rate the market offers is, by definition, fair.”

He laughed. “That’s why you’re the best I got, Lisowski. Now you get out there and find those bitcoins.”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m on it.”

I put a quarter in the siren. Ten minutes later, I was on the scene. It was a normal office building, strangled on all sides by public sidewalks. I hopped over them and went inside.

“Home Depot™ Presents the Police!®” I said, flashing my badge and my gun and a small picture of Ron Paul. “Nobody move unless you want to!” They didn’t.

“Now, which one of you punks is going to pay me to investigate this crime?” No one spoke up.

“Come on,” I said. “Don’t you all understand that the protection of private property is the foundation of all personal liberty?”

It didn’t seem like they did.

“Seriously, guys. Without a strong economic motivator, I’m just going to stand here and not solve this case. Cash is fine, but I prefer being paid in gold bullion or autographed Penn Jillette posters.”

Nothing. These people were stonewalling me. It almost seemed like they didn’t care that a fortune in computer money invented to buy drugs was missing.

I figured I could wait them out. I lit several cigarettes indoors. A pregnant lady coughed, and I told her that secondhand smoke is a myth. Just then, a man in glasses made a break for it.

“Subway™ Eat Fresh and Freeze, Scumbag!®” I yelled.

Too late. He was already out the front door. I went after him.

“Stop right there!” I yelled as I ran. He was faster than me because I always try to avoid stepping on public sidewalks. Our country needs a private-sidewalk voucher system, but, thanks to the incestuous interplay between our corrupt federal government and the public-sidewalk lobby, it will never happen.

I was losing him. “Listen, I’ll pay you to stop!” I yelled. “What would you consider an appropriate price point for stopping? I’ll offer you a thirteenth of an ounce of gold and a gently worn ‘Bob Barr ‘08’ extra-large long-sleeved men’s T-shirt!”

He turned. In his hand was a revolver that the Constitution said he had every right to own. He fired at me and missed. I pulled my own gun, put a quarter in it, and fired back. The bullet lodged in a U.S.P.S. mailbox less than a foot from his head. I shot the mailbox again, on purpose.

“All right, all right!” the man yelled, throwing down his weapon. “I give up, cop! I confess: I took the bitcoins.”

“Why’d you do it?” I asked, as I slapped a pair of Oikos™ Greek Yogurt Presents Handcuffs® on the guy.

“Because I was afraid.”

“Afraid?”

“Afraid of an economic future free from the pernicious meddling of central bankers,” he said. “I’m a central banker.”

I wanted to coldcock the guy. Years ago, a central banker killed my partner. Instead, I shook my head.

“Let this be a message to all your central-banker friends out on the street,” I said. “No matter how many bitcoins you steal, you’ll never take away the dream of an open society based on the principles of personal and economic freedom.”

He nodded, because he knew I was right. Then he swiped his credit card to pay me.

:::

Percussive maintenance

Everything is a file

How a French judge was digitally cut off by the USA Malte Kirchner 3 - 4 minutes

Digital sovereignty has been much discussed in Europe in recent weeks, most recently during a German-French summit in Berlin. The extent of dependence on the USA in the digital sector is currently being experienced by a French judge. Nicolas Guillou, one of six judges and three prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC), was sanctioned by the USA in August. He described his current situation as a digital time travel back to the 1990s, before the internet age, in a recent interview.

The reason for the US sanctions are the arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. They were indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the context of the destruction of the Gaza Strip. The USA condemned this decision by the court, whereupon the US Treasury Department sanctioned six judges and three prosecutors. Digitally excluded from almost everything

In Guillou's daily life, this means that he is excluded from digital life and much of what is considered standard today, he told the French newspaper Le Monde. All his accounts with US companies such as Amazon, Airbnb, or PayPal were immediately closed by the providers. Online bookings, such as through Expedia, are immediately canceled, even if they concern hotels in France. Participation in e-commerce is also practically no longer possible for him, as US companies always play a role in one way or another, and they are strictly forbidden to enter into any trade relationship with sanctioned individuals.

He also describes the impact on participating in banking as drastic. Payment systems are blocked for him, as US companies like American Express, Visa, and Mastercard have a virtual monopoly in Europe. He also describes the rest of banking as severely restricted. For example, accounts with non-US banks have also been partially closed. Transactions in US dollars or via dollar conversions are forbidden to him. Judge: EU should block sanctions

Guillou's case shows how strong the USA's influence in the tech sector is and how few options he has to circumvent it. And this at a time when an account with a US tech company is considered a matter of course in more and more places.

The French judge advocates for Europe to gain more sovereignty in the digital and banking sectors. Without this sovereignty, the rule of law cannot be guaranteed, he warns. At the same time, he calls on the EU to activate an existing blocking regulation (Regulation (EC) No 2271/96) for the International Criminal Court, which prevents third countries like the USA from enforcing sanctions in the EU. EU companies would then no longer be allowed to comply with US sanctions if they violate EU interests. Companies that violate this would then be liable for damages

Paralives?

Bonus Beau

It's more of a trade. My rock for all your stuff.

Bonus Ruby sitting by the fire

A driver who rammed a police car and reached speeds of 80mph in a 30mph zone during a 10-minute bid to evade capture has been jailed for a year.

Mark Branker, 52, initially stopped when police pulled his Mercedes over in Sunderland in the early hours of 18 July last year, but he then reversed into the officers' car before making off, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Branker, who had 164 offences on his record including for dangerous, drink and drug driving, drove at speed down residential streets and went through red lights in his attempts to avoid arrest, the court heard.

He admitted dangerous driving with a judge saying it was "unbelievable" he did not hurt anyone.

Police spotted Branker's Mercedes crossing the Northern Spire bridge and followed as he was wanted for unrelated matters, prosecutor Lucy Todd said.

They pulled him over on Ravenswood Road, but when officers got out of their car to go and speak to him he reversed into their vehicle and drove away, the court heard.

As well as speeding, he went the wrong way round a roundabout and passed through red lights during a pursuit that lasted nearly 10 minutes, the court was told.

The pursuit eventually ended when Branker stopped, with officers finding he had a female passenger with him, Todd said.

Judge Carolyn Scott said it was "somewhat unbelievable given the manner of [Branker's] driving" he did not cause a crash or injure anyone.

She banned Branker, of Bayswater Avenue in Sunderland, from driving for two and a half years.

Such a majestic creature

The floof, the feetsies, the tail wrap - 10/10 from me <3

Splitter!

No systemd does too much so it's bloat and wayland breaks this script from 1993 so it's out too

The wheels of production

I tend to agree that blocking some political subs etc is perhaps not the best, since every user on the instance will suffer, but please take a skim-read of the banned Beehaw instances - you will find something you do not want on here. Tom as a server owner also will have a vested interest in blocking some of this content that passes through his infrastructure.

"An excellent comment"