A tip to those who like to smuggle their drugs using baubles from the holiday season: try to choose the right holiday. For instance, smuggling cocaine in Easter Eggs at Christmas will attract attention.

(a tattoo of ebola, on this guy.)

To us here at the Big Bad Blog, the weirdest thing about the whole Julian Assange thing is the mainstream media’s handling of it. Glenn Greenwald gives a good rundown of it here.

The Banker’s Trade Association has been trying to get Cambridge University to censor a Master’s thesis that highlights security flaws in the chip-and-PIN system used in debit and credit cards. The reply from the University is a beautiful thing.

Welcome to your New Year’s Day coffee. We’ll try to make it extra-strong for you.

	This has to be the greatest career move ever made: This guy quit his job, and started a business suing spammers.
Here is the New York Times, on why you should find it worrying that banks are shutting down payments to Wikileaks. No matter your personal opinions on Wikileaks or Assange, you ought to find it troubling.
	I’m not sure why I find this surprising — probably because, like everybody else, I just bought into the political rhetoric and media spin. In retrospect, it seems obvious. So, this just in: Suicide bombers are not religious fanatics. They are just suicidal, and looking for an acceptable means (according to their religion and culture) by which to end their life.
Tennessee, where suggesting a preference for “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas” can put you on a terrorist watch list.
	During recent protest marches in London, with the exception of a handful of incidences, I have been rather sympathetic with the police. A significant portion of those marching have been destructive and violent, and while I disagree with kettling, it is easy to be sympathetic with the desire to avoid the violence and property destruction that accompanied the first march. But suggesting that marches be banned? We live in a democracy, sirs. The freedom to engage in such demonstrations is more than worth the “disorder” they cause.
All hail the singing mouse! I hope it wins the next X Factor.
	Have goats? Want more milk? Then you need some Mariah Carey.
Banks in America have been illegally foreclosing on customers who are up to date on mortgage payments, and even on non-customers who do not have a mortgage at all. There is a word for this — theft. And it’s nice to see an article that features people actually standing up to the banks for a change, rather than just being victimized by them.