Cloud of Illusion

Ch-ch-changes

so then, this is the 25th (kinda) and last week spot blog collection as you be versed it. from next week, it when one pleases be updated as and when something in the news catches my observe - as, indeed, a blog should be.maybe i’ll do a weekly round-up again, but i doubt it. so until that day does or doesn’t come, here’s a bumper final edition of strange stories for you.and everything’s changing, by to do with people being removed from the popular appreciation. oj simpson’s been locked up, diana vickers has been voted off x-proxy and darren anderton’s retired from talented football.i think that’s good, good or serious and severe news respectively, but i’d appreciate your input on that. what do you suppose?oj loses common feel something in one’s bones, freedomthe british public loses another dianaaccepted: left-handers plagued by statisticsandy fordham hits the maximum in weightlossthe discman makes a comebacksicknote anderton hangs up his bootsoj loses common sense, spare timedear oh dear. point of view still seems to be divided over whether oj simpson murdered nicole brown and ronald goldman, of whose deaths he was found innocent in ‘the trial of the century’ in 1995, but we can all agree on something ? he’s stupid.surely oj should have known repayment for more than a decade now that every move he makes would be watched like a hawk by people aggrieved with the ‘not guilty’ murder verdict, the authorities and dirty work theorists. he should have been cautious of picking his nose in case it turned manifest to be holding evidence against him.so with this in mind, his reprisal to the meant theft of some memorabilia was, well, a bit gala. suited for a start, it’s not like he was actually robbed. two people were trying to sell memorabilia from oj’s footballing days and he claimed it still belonged to him. now, what do you do in that predicament? fall legal on their arses? let them peddle the ineffective wares? or kidnap them at gunpoint and force them to furnish the stuff back? the latter, apparently. i think he’s started to confuse his life with the movies he’s been in.yet oj claims, “i did not know that i was doing anything illegal.” uh…really? what participate in of it did you think was nice and legal, oj? was it the kidnapping or the armed robbery? honestly, it’s ilk he thinks he can listen to away with murder or something.and so this time he’s been sent down ? down for 33 years (though it’ll more likely be nine, when his parole is heard). interesting. what’s yet more interesting is that he was inaugurate guilty of this assess 13 years to the day after being acquitted in the murder effort. some will call this justice; i just think it’s the most beautiful irony.still, he’s got single himself to disapprobation. silly old bean.the british public loses another dianaso, diana has been voted off x-factor just one globelike in advance of the exalted final. i informed entertain mattel are despondent to get her voice into a range of barbie dolls (complete with claw-much the same as hands) to capitalise on the publicity. and the retaliation of the rest of us is…conflicting, to about the least.i haven’t been watching x-factor at all ? i’ve drying paint that needs monitoring ? but like many sceptics, i’ve been dragged in a bit by the play-acting. from the connect of performances i’ve seen, i know that some of them can warble, some of them can’t, and diana vickers is definitely memorable.that is to say, i don’t discern if i like her or abhor her. she somehow manages to sensible bloody awful and absolutely amazing at the same time ? something not done since bob dylan, albeit in a very different way. i think yesterday’s show proved that faster, louder songs don’t suit her, which may jet be why she was voted out (well, that and she annoys people), but she can belt out a ballad in at least a distinctive headway. exercise e publish it this path: i don’t know if i like it or not, but i tranquil have her version of coldplay’s yellow in my head. and since the winner is growing to sing leonard cohen’s hallelujah and you know
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SQL statement handbook (25) Create View

  as of table (views) can be regarded as a virtual form.    it’s different with the form, the be composed of in the genuine data storage, and the concept form, as in the table greater than is to establish a framework, which itself is not the actual data storage.    as the establishment…

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Palin Slams LA Times - Demands They Release Khalidi Tape

Palin said her assertion “is not negative campaigning to call someone out on their record.”http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/29/campaign.wrap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

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Presidential Inaugural Committee Unveils Theme And Initial Schedule

FROM THE COMMITTEE:

The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) today unveiled the official theme for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, “Renewing America’s Promise,” a vision that underscores the President-elect and Vice President-elect’s commitment to restoring opportunity and possibility for all and re-establishing America’s standing as a beacon of hope around the world.”At this moment of great challenge and great change, renewing the promise of America begins with renewing the idea that in America, we rise or fall as one nation and one people,” said President-elect Obama. “That sense of unity and shared purpose is what this Inauguration will reflect.”Scheduled events after the jump. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.

sunday, january 18th the register of official inaugural activities will begin with a welcome event on sunday afternoon that is open to the clientele. monday, january 19th - martin luther sovereign, jr. day in 1994, to further commemorate a man who lived his life-force in ritual to others, congress transformed the martin luther king, jr. holiday into a popular day of community service. to honor dr. king’s legacy, the president-elect and vice president-chosen and their families, like americans in communities all across the country, longing participate in activities dedicated to serving others in communities across the washington, d.c. area.tuesday, january 20th - inauguration day the president-elect and vice president-designate and their families will participate in the ancestral inaugural ceremonies and events, including the swearing-in ceremony on the west front of the united states capitol, a luncheon in the capitol’s statuary hall, the 56th inaugural display, and official inaugural balls. details with respect to the inaugural balls will be released at a later date.wednesday, january 21st the newly-inaugurated president and vice president of the united states will participate in a praying service.

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Ill-Informed Will Smith’s Gloves Come Off for Jay Leno [Short Ends]

· we’d lay even odds that choice smith reclaimed his going-away contemporary to jay leno after reading the trades this morning. · in related news, a noted hollywood blogger today revealed the source of nbc’s internal turmoil: aliens. · film critic-turned-helmsman rod lurie remembers the glory days when reviewers went on to helm robert redford movies instead of very recently getting unceremoniously discarded by their bygone publications. · “you got no fuckin’ idea what it’s like to be number one. every decision you make affects every facet of every other fucking deed.” who (allegedly) said it: tony soprano or disgraced illinois gov. rod blagojevich? · is steve-o next year’s cloris leachman? · a court create that tyler perry is singly, solely responsible suited for the madea franchise. we mean that as a good thing.

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Jail accidentally releases son instead of father

Kern County Jail staff mistakenly let out the wrong incarcerated family member Saturday morning, and authorities are now looking for the parolee at large.

Jaime Garcia Jr., 30, was in jail on several charges including suspicion of burglary and assault with a deadly weapon, and was mistakenly let out at about acheter levitra 11 a.m. Saturday instead of his father, Jaime Garcia Sr., 50, said Mike Barnes, a commander in charge the downtown jail.

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Rethinking the student-athlete: The Legacy of Jan Kemp

when i was a kid i loved college sports much like i do now. i loved what i thought was the virtue of the game. student-athletes were playing as a replacement for the amity of the play and a lore was enough, so i deliberating anyways. i remember in the 1980’s information up how student-athletes were exploited. perhaps the most important incident in my revelation was the story of jan kemp, a past university of georgia professor and whistleblower, who was fired for revealing the biased treatment and exploitation of student-athletes. kemp died on friday from alzheimers complications .

Kemp was loathed in some circles and revered in others. She ultimately won a prolonged lawsuit against the University of Georgia, but suffered greatly in her personal life. Ultimately her testimony lead to the firing of Georgia’s President.

Rue la la

the six-week civil distress captured citizen headlines, and the seamy details of how a college football powerhouse recruited functionally illiterate athletes led to the passivity of longtime university president fred davison. fundamental reforms at uga and the national collegiate athletic association would carry on.

And very likely Jan Kemp’s actions and courage influenced positive change in universities roles in educating their athletes.

“no be uncertain about it. it got everybody’s acclaim in the united states,” said former clarke dominant high football coach billy henderson, who was interviewed for a 10th anniversary retrospective of the kemp case in 1996. “it got everybody thinking about what the real purpose of college should be.”

Jan Kemp definitely ruffled some feathers by her willingness to stand up and point out some inequities in our academic system. While we have not perfected educating our student athletes surely we certainly place more emphasis on their academic performance. I am not sure that I believe that athletes are not exploited, but I do think they are taken more seriously as students. Jan Kemp definitely has her place in history and an important reminder that most student-athletes will never turn professional. In her honor we must do a better job of making sure our student-athletes are prepared for the after collegiate workforce.

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Now, here’s a shocker

The Washington Times reports this morning that the positive press coverage Obama received in this election has set a record:

It’s a record-setting press honeymoon.

President-elect Barack Obama has received the most positive campaign news coverage on the main network news shows in the 20-year history of such studies by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA).

Mr. Obama received 68 percent positive evaluations from the four major networks, according to the study released Friday.

“Obama’s positive press is the strongest showing CMPA has ever recorded for a presidential candidate since we began monitoring election news in 1988,” said Robert Lichter, director of the nonpartisan research group affiliated with George Mason University.

By contrast, his Republican rival almost set the record for hostile press coverage.

Just 33 percent of the stories on Sen. John McCain were positive in nature — “the worst showing” since former President George H.W. Bush received only 29 percent positive press in 1988, Mr. Lichter said.

The study analyzed 1,197 election stories from Aug. 23 to Nov. 4 on “ABC World News Tonight,” “NBC Nightly News,” “CBS Evening News” and the first half-hour of “Fox Special Report.”

The findings counter previous CMPA research trends somewhat. On average in the last 20 years, Democratic presidential hopefuls received coverage that was fairly balanced: about half positive and half negative. However, over the same period, Republicans received 34 percent positive and 66 percent negative press.

Mr. Obama also trumped coverage garnered by former presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry. The Massachusetts Democrat received 59 percent favorable press in a similar study conducted during the 2004 election.

NBC was the most Obama-friendly of the four networks, with 73 percent of the coverage being favorable. Fox News was the sole network to mix it up with Mr. Obama, with only 37 percent of the stories on him positive in tone, although that was only slightly less favorable than the 41 percent favorability of the network’s McCain coverage.

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Here’s the press release from CMPA on the study,which includes some more facts not included in the Times piece.

So, head in sand liberals who continue to deny the reality of Obama’s favorable press coverage: Still want to argue that the media isn’t biased in favor of Democrats? The evidence is piling up against you.

Prior/Related:

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Joshuah Bearman: A Former FBI Agent Joins the ACLU — and Finds Symmetry in Opposition

Cross posted from my home base.

My friend Steven Kotler, a man of prodigious turnout, recently wrote a fascinating story about a former FBI agent who left the bureau for the ACLU. The agent, Mike German, was a once-politically conservative crack undercover agent, compiling evidence in two of the most successful domestic terrorism cases in history.

What forced German into the arms of the agency’s rival? In German’s last undercover case — a conspiracy between natural pals: Islamic fundamentalists and American neo-Nazis — the bosses tried to use his evidence improperly. He cried foul. They tried to transfer him. He said no. Thereupon began his descent into dreaded Whistlblower status, which if you work for the military or intelligence community means that you are not a patriot adhering to rule of law, but a crazy person. (Hey, it worked for the Soviets!) The spy who was left out in the cold found a new home at the ACLU, where he uses his insider knowledge to hold his former employer’s feet to the fire. Surprisingly, German points out the similarity between his unlikely career paths:

After two years on the outside, he decided the best way he could continue being useful was to join the ACLU. “With the FBI, I saw a lot of very brave people do a lot of very dangerous things. At the ACLU, I see the exact same thing–but these people aren’t out there with flak vests and big guns taking on the bad guys. They don’t have the weight of the federal government behind them. They stand alone, unprotected, saying this will not happen on my watch. I wanted to be a part of that.”

Among German’s projects at the ACLU is leading the charge against “fusion centers.” These are repositories for “information sharing,” meaning places where the government tries to collect data on its citizens from public and private sources — doctors, credit card bills, financial information, shopping records, travel arrangements, gambling habits — and look for patterns. This is the data mining that we heard so much about just after 9/11. Computers were going to help us find the next twenty hijackers. Or, as Rumsfeld would have put it, data mining would help us know those infamous unknowns. Remember all this? The Pentagon called it Total Information Awareness at first, and, reassuringly,their logo was an eyeball shining a light ray out of a pyramid, with the inscription Scientia Est Potentia. Well, it turned out people didn’t like the idea of their scientia as the government’s potentia.Total Information Awereness was disbanded, but in name only. Data mining lives on as a key technological holy grail for the intelligence community. Now, after revelations about Bush’s illegal warrantless eavesdropping and the revised FISA, data mining’s inherent dangers to privacy seem even more notable. Especially because, as German points out, data mining doesn’t work:

“The whole data-mining model doesn’t work,” he says. “We’re sub-contracting to companies who want to solve terrorism with technology. It’s pure snake oil.” Explaining this, German likes to point out that pro football teams use much narrower data sets to scout rookies than the government does hunting terrorists, but they still draft a guy like Ryan Leaf. “If this kind of predictive analysis really worked, these companies would be selling their services in Vegas or on Wall Street. Vegas and Wall Street aren’t buying it–only the government is.”

I did an interview in 2003 with Usama Fayyad, one of the world’s data mining experts. Fayad is a data mining booster, with his own consulting company, DigiMine. He was also editor in chief of Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, the primary technical journal on data mining technology. And he was very candid about the limitations of that technology for intelligence gathering:

UF: That’s true, and let me give you a tougher scenario. It’s one thing to rate a credit card transaction for its likelihood of being fraudulent. But as soon as you start looking for groupings of people, like terrorist networks, which is what Total Information Awareness needs to do, you now have an exponential problem. Because if there are N entities, there’s an exponential number in N of possible subgroupings. You’re looking for ten people, you don’t know which ten, among millions, and that’s an absolutely astronomical number of combinations.

BLVR: That’s a whole lot of evidence extracting and link discovering.

UF: Yes, but it’s not impossible. It’s just very challenging. It’s never been done on this scale. It’s like putting a man on the moon. If they really want to get it done, it will require a lot of resources, the best people in the country, and so on.

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Yo, Philly in the News

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Image Credit: Flickr user It’s Our City

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