Internet Kill Switch? We don't need no stinkin' Internet Kill Switch.

The Curmudgeon can't be a party dude 24/7. Public Service is my middle name.

Okay, it's not my middle name. I mostly don't give a fuck about any of you. But those I actively dislike are generally the bullying sort. And while I don't care enough about most people to waste energy on them for good or ill, those I actively dislike I'd spend a little energy lifting a finger for.

The little guy- read: poor, powerless, fugly, minority, unlucky, stupid, lacking social connections, always gets screwed so them belonging to the lucky sperm and egg club or the ruthless climber club can have everything they want.

In Egypt, the little guy finally stood up after 30 years and said "Bugger all, I'm tired of this bullshit, let's have a government that works for the people." And the government responded: "Eat your broccoli and go directly to bed. No Intertubes for you."

But, being determined and scrappy, the protesters in Egypt found some creative ways around the internet shutdown. Fax, Morse Code, land line internet service.

If they had considered the possibility of a shutdown beforehand, they could have prepared.

Since the American Government is currently considering an Internet Kill Switch - to protect us from "the turrurist" ya know... wink, wink- you might be well served to consider some fairly easy work-arounds in advance of landing.

http://openmesh.wordpress.com/

"Providing local information during an “internet kill switch”.

Due to recent events in Egypt and the speed of the shutdown. Most of these projects are open to contribution and further development.

And good old Anon offers this:

Then there's the dial up:

Free dial-up with software (ad driven, but free) if you can dial out of Egypt to the USA.

Login: Username: guest Password: password
http://www.nocharge.com/connect.htm

Here is a few from the list:
Bainbridge: (206) 312-1000
Bainbridge: (206) 312-1500
Bainbridge: (206) 312-2500
Bainbridge: (206) 312-3700
Bellevue: (425) 786-1000
Bellevue: (425) 786-1111
Bellevue: (425) 786-7777
Bellevue: (425) 786-5073

DNS Servers: Primary: 64.40.40.51 Secondary: 64.40.40.53

The obvious flaw here is the cost of an international call. Google Voice, however would take care of that.

Privacy software, much of it free.

Tor Project

Onion Routing 

Privoxy 

Anonymizer 

The Freenet Projec

Read more, learn more at the Electronic Frontier Foundation

Consider that my half-assed contribution to the cause. Now go away.

Un-Offical Bank Run Slated for December 7th. Care to Join Us?

I saw this floating around the InterTubes about a week ago. Didn't want to burden you with Google's translated page at that point. Instead Zero-Hedge does a nice job of summing it up for us.

...the effort has since expanded to a pan-European organized bank run day on December 7, 2010, and has metastasized to Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and Greece. We are confident that very soon the rest of Europe, which is currently gripped in a climate of extremely unpopular austerity, will join in this symbolic protest against banking, which unlike the US, may just succeed, considering the European banking system is in total shambles, and in far worse shape than its American counterpart.

In other words, if you weren't such slack-ass mamby-pamby momma's boys, you would've gotten up off your duffs and taken all your money out of the banks. Instead, you did what you always do. You gab about it.

"ooooo..... Curmudgeon, I'm soooo angry. Let me sit here for several weeks, bitching and moaning about the mean old banks and how they are ripping us off."

"What do you mean, then get up and do something about it? I AM doing something about it, I writing a sternly worded blog post. That'll show 'em...."

Dumbasses. You deserve every fucking thing you get.