Joseph Gordon-Levitt says Edward Snowden is an 'optimist'

"He is really dedicated to trying to make our country and our world better for everyone."

When Joseph Gordon-Levitt headed to Harvard University last Friday, he knew he’d have to make a fool of himself. But even he didn’t predict giving lap dances, pretending to drink milk from a cow’s udders (well, a student in a cow suit) and dropping his pants onstage.

“I had seen some photos, and I knew I might have to dress up,” Gordon-Levitt said that evening at Harvard's Farkas Hall, where he was honored with the 50th “Man of the Year” award by the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the university’s esteemed theatrical troop.

In between jumping around in the audience wearing a spandex Robin costume and performing a spot-on impression of his friend Seth Rogen, Gordon-Levitt spoke earnestly about his own college experience at Columbia University.

“I’ve spent the last two days here. I also went to a esteemed college in the Ivy League, and I ended up dropping out. I’ll be really really honest, I came out of that experience a little bit pessimistic about the people that were in my class. A lot of people that went and studied engineering and learning science, that sort of thing, ended up becoming [investment] bankers and gambling for a living, breaking the world a few years later,” Gordon-Levitt told the audience.

“I really know the difference here. I really noticed a thoughtfulness, optimism, passion, worldliness and a sense of humor that leaves me feeling optimistic about people who are younger than I am. Having just bore a child half a year ago, it makes me feel really good that people who are younger than I am are doing great.”

After the on-stage portion, Gordon-Levitt also spoke about his role as notorious National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden in Oliver Stone’s upcoming film, "Snowden." Joseph said he had spent with the real Snowden, and respects him.

“We sat and talked for 4 hours,” said Gordon-Levitt. “We had a really great conversation. I’ve spoken with him a couple times since shooting the movie. Speaking of optimism, that guy is an optimist. He is really dedicated to trying to make our country and our world better for everyone. I personally really believe that’s what he’s dedicated to doing.”

Read more @ http://www.metro.us/entertainment/joseph-gordon-levitt-says-edward-snowden-is-an-optimist/zsJpbh---bK4t6E5oGUSO/  

OMG, Shame on you France!

Snowden warns France against giving up liberties as MPs pass security bill

Whistleblower Edward Snowden has warned the French people to think twice before giving up their freedoms for increased security. In a message on his Twitter account, Snowden also pointed out that France has passed controversial constitutional reform with over 75 percent of MPs absent.

“Abandoning open society for fear of terrorism is the only way to be defeated by it,” Snowden tweeted, referring to the French lawmakers’ decision to pass highly criticized emergency powers.

Read more @ https://www.rt.com/news/332128-france-snowden-liberties-criticism/

Whistleblower or traitor? CU-Boulder's Edward Snowden video chat sparks debate

From Russia to Macky Auditorium, ex-NSA contractor to answer questions

Students on the University of Colorado's Distinguished Speakers Board wanted to inspire conversation and, perhaps, even a bit of debate with their annual spring speaker this year.

In Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked massive amounts of information about government surveillance programs, they found a perfect fit.

Hero or villain? Whistleblower or traitor? Something in between?

Those are questions for students and community members to sort through Tuesday evening when Snowden takes the stage at a sold-out Macky Auditorium by way of a live videostream from Russia.

"Our mission as the board is to bring people who will challenge students and will present these different experiences," said Emma Woodyard, who chairs the student-run board. "We're not trying to say what he is, one way or another. We want to get that conversation started among students and get people thinking about what kind of world we live in."

Read more @ http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_29520331/whistleblower-or-traitor-cu-boulders-edward-snowden-video

 

Whistleblower, The Edward Snowden Story at Waterloo East Theatre

Everyone is familiar with the work of Edward Snowden, the chap that told the Guardian what the United States Government were clandestinely doing in the name of protecting the populace. To some, Edward is a hero, to others, he is a traitor. But, behind the leaks, there is a real life human being who at some point in his life made the decision to go against his contract and the law and it is this man that Whistleblower, The Edward Snowden Story at Waterloo East looks at in detail.

Edward Snowden (Ruari Cannon) is a patriot. He comes from a family that has served the USA in various ways for a long time. In an effort to serve, Edward joins the army but fails to complete training. He then moves to the University of Maryland as a security guard and one night, he provides computer assistance to an NSA (National Security Agency) operative who is having issues with his PC. Realising that Edward has some excellent computer skills, the agency quickly move him from security guard and into the murky world of the spook. Edward has a pretty good career with the NSA and other agencies but is starting to have doubts about the methods used to gather data about potential terrorists. Eventually, Edward’s disillusionment is complete and he makes the difficult decision to let the public know what is being done in their name if not necessarily with their consent. It is pretty well known what happens next and Edward divulges information to the newspapers bringing a whole heap of trouble on himself.

Read more @ https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/128082/whistleblower-the-edward-snowden-story-waterloo-east-theatre/

 

The Earth has always been such…. Good and evil…..  to use evil as an excuse to take away everyone’s right to privacy is Orwellian…. I firmly believe what Snowden said about the spying being about power and economic espionage….. and not about terrorism. I remember in one article he said he saw a program that was frightening…..  so to say that encryption stops the spies from getting at information I believe could just be another lie.  When you think about Clapper lying to the senate…. If he can do that with a straight face, what lies are the public being told?  People he doesn’t have to answer too.

 

Islamic State supporters share Edward Snowden video to explain need for encryption

Read more @ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/feb/9/islamic-state-supporters-share-snowden-video-expla/

 

Edward Snowden revels in Kanye's rants

He may be in isolation, but Edward Snowden has still found the time to revel in Kanye West's Twitter rants just like the rest of us.

Snowden, known for leaking security documents on the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance practices, took to Twitter with a recipe of well-played wit.

Kanye has been persistently flooding Twitter's feed since the release of his latest album, The Life of Pablo, making somewhat daring statements about comedian Bill Cosby, singer Taylor Swift and his financial status.

The NSA whistleblower was quick to comment on Kanye's twitter rant, comparing his plea for fans to subscribe to TIDAL to the agonising and awkwardly infamous speech of Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush.

"Please clap," Snowden tweeted, referencing Bush's dull speech to a crowd in New Hampshire where he had to personally ask the audience to applaud.

Read more @ https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/30831061/edward-snowden-revels-in-kanyes-rants/

 

Edward Snowden takes down Jeb Bush and Kanye West in one tweet

Read more @ http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/02/16/edward-snowden-takes-down-jeb-bush-and-kanye-west-one-tweet

 

Edward Snowden Inspires NSA-Style Surveillance Video Game

Whistleblower Edward Snowden has inspired a new video game that aims to expose the “suffocating privacy invasions” carried out by intelligence agencies.

Need to Know, developed by Australia-based Monomyth Games, requires players to climb the ranks of the Department of Liberty, a government agency based on the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), whose mass surveillance practises Snowden exposed through his 2013 leaks.

Read more @ http://www.newsweek.com/edward-snowden-inspires-nsa-style-surveillance-video-game-425874

 

GPS tracking down to the centimeter

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have developed a new, more computationally efficient way to process data from the Global Positioning System (GPS), to enhance location accuracy from the meter-level down to a few centimeters.

The optimization will be used in the development of autonomous vehicles, improved aviation and naval navigation systems, and precision technologies. It will also enable users to access centimeter-level accuracy location data through their mobile phones and wearable technologies, without increasing the demand for processing power.

The research, led by Jay Farrell, professor and chair of electrical and computer engineering in UCR's Bourns College of Engineering, was published recently in IEEE's Transactions on Control Systems Technology. The approach involves reformulating a series of equations that are used to determine a GPS receiver's position, resulting in reduced computational effort being required to attain centimeter accuracy.

First conceptualized in the early 1960s, GPS is a space-based navigation system that allows a receiver to compute its location and velocity by measuring the time it takes to receive radio signals from four or more overhead satellites. Due to various error sources, standard GPS yields position measurements accurate to approximately 10 meters.

Differential GPS (DGPS), which enhances the system through a network of fixed, ground-based reference stations, has improved accuracy to about one meter. But meter-level accuracy isn't sufficient to support emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, precision farming, and related applications.

Read more @ http://phys.org/news/2016-02-gps-tracking-centimeter.html


"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us."  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~