COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Plaster every detail of your personal lives, announce every fart, spread it across the internet, record it for all to be disseminated forever. What could possibly go wrong?

COOL RUNNINGS - 2012


The Media Praised or Ignored Obama’s Harvesting of Facebook Data



amnesty
Getty

The political and media establishment have whipped themselves into an almighty frenzy over allegations — yet to be confirmed — that Cambridge Analytica may have used improperly-obtained Facebook data during the 2016 election campaign, a charge they strenuously deny.

Online political advertising is now a “dark art,” according to The Guardian. “Data And The Threat to Democracy” is the blunt headline at the BBC. Facebook likes helped Trump “steal the election,” according to a columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer. In the U.S., lawmakers are calling for an investigation into Facebook, and in the U.K., the authorities are seeking a warrant to raid the offices of Cambridge Analytica.

There was no such outrage after the 2012 election, in which the Obama campaign harvested data from Facebook users at a scale that, according to a former senior Obama campaign staffer, shocked Facebook themselves. Although Obama’s data-gathering operation was widely known, the tone of establishment media coverage was casual, even celebratory. Certainly, no-one dared suggest that it constituted a “threat to democracy.”

In their cheerfully-titled report “Obama, Facebook And The Power of Friendship: The 2012 data Election,” The Guardian explained how the Obama campaign harvested data on friend networks from unwitting voters.
At the core is a single beating heart – a unified computer database that gathers and refines information on millions of committed and potential Obama voters. The database will allow staff and volunteers at all levels of the campaign – from the top strategists answering directly to Obama’s campaign manager Jim Messina to the lowliest canvasser on the doorsteps of Ohio – to unlock knowledge about individual voters and use it to target personalised messages that they hope will mobilise voters where it counts most.
Every time an individual volunteers to help out – for instance by offering to host a fundraising party for the president – he or she will be asked to log onto the re-election website with their Facebook credentials. That in turn will engage Facebook Connect, the digital interface that shares a user’s personal information with a third party. 
Consciously or otherwise, the individual volunteer will be injecting all the information they store publicly on their Facebook page – home location, date of birth, interests and, crucially, network of friends – directly into the central Obama database.
“If you log in with Facebook, now the campaign has connected you with all your relationships,” a digital campaign organiser who has worked on behalf of Obama says.
Ironically, The Guardian is the sister paper of The Observer, the paper that broke the news of Cambridge Analytica’s alleged misuse of Facebook data.
As we reported earlier, the former head of Obama’s data operation, Carol Davidsen, said that the campaign was able to pull data from the “entire social graph.”

“We were actually able to ingest the entire social network of the U.S. that’s on Facebook, which is most people” said Davidsen in a talk delivered in 2015.
“Where this gets complicated is that it freaks Facebook out. So they shut off the feature.”

Republicans, explained Davidsen, failed to obtain this data, whereas the Democrats now have it forever.

“I’m a Democrat, so maybe I could argue that’s a great thing, but really it’s not, in the overall process. That wasn’t thought all the way through and now there’s a disadvantage of information that to me seems unfair.”

This is no secret – The Guardian reported on it in 2012, and Davidsen spoke about it 2015. But only in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s election victory, which many attributed to his superior digital campaigning, has the mainstream devolved into panic over the influence of Facebook.

Davidsen recently revealed that Facebook visited the Obama campaign’s office after the 2012 election, where they admitted they allowed the campaign privileged access to their platform.

Yet despite the obvious closeness of the relationship between Facebook and Obama, the establishment media gave it little scrutiny, even when Obama was invited to speak at Facebook’s headquarters in 2011.

Far from holding Facebook and the Obama administration to account, the establishment media were fawning in their coverage of their relationship.
The Guardian endearingly referred to Obama’s tactics as harnessing the “power of friendship.” According to CNN, Obama’s team used “high-tech wizardry” and “magic tricks” to win. Obama’s own data analytics director, as noted above, thought the insurmountable imbalance between Democrat-owned data and Republican-owned data was unfair, but according to the Washington Post, Obama had simply “won the race for voter data.”

The establishment media didn’t frame Obama’s data operation as invasive or sinister. It was just “hipster tech,” in the words of Wired magazine. It was a “dream team of engineers from Facebook, Twitter and Google” who won the 2012 election, according to an Atlantic piece titled “When The Nerds Go Marching In.” Obama’s data team were the “real heroes” of the election, wrote Rolling Stone, and the former president’s “high-tech, data-driven, socially-networked campaign was one for the history books.” The Telegraph praised Obama for realizing “the potential” of social media to reach “disaffected youth.”

There was virtually no mention of the invasiveness of the Obama camapign’s data-gathering operation. Obama staffers joked openly about mass-harvesting data from the Facebook feeds of their supporters’ old college friends and ex-girlfriends. They admitted that their data harvesting was so extensive that it triggered Facebook’s security systems. Yet the media continued to cover them as genius whizz-kids who were revolutionizing political campaigning.

Compare this to the way they covered Facebook in the aftermath of Trump. It’s “fake news,” it’s “misinformation,” it’s “dark arts” and a “threat to democracy.” Trump didn’t win the election, according to the establishment media’s fantasy — he stole it with ill-gotten data.

Absent from this panicked narrative is a far simpler explanation: voters aren’t idiots who were “manipulated.” They are free-thinking individuals who made a decision — to reject the Democrats, to reject corporate  media, and to reject the establishment. But admitting you might be flawed is hard — let’s just blame Facebook instead!

Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. You can follow him on TwitterGab.ai and add him on Facebook. Email tips and suggestions to allumbokhari@protonmail.com.

87 comments:

  1. In 2012, the Obama campaign encouraged supporters to download an Obama 2012 Facebook app that, when activated, let the campaign collect Facebook data both on users and their friends.

    According to a July 2012 MIT Technology Review article, when you installed the app, "it said it would grab information about my friends: their birth dates, locations, and 'likes.' "

    The campaign boasted that more than a million people downloaded the app, which, given an average friend-list size of 190, means that as many as 190 million had at least some of their Facebook data vacuumed up by the Obama campaign — without their knowledge or consent.

    If anything, Facebook made it easy for Obama to do so. A former campaign director, Carol Davidsen, tweeted that "Facebook was surprised we were able to suck out the whole social graph, but they didn't stop us once they realized that was what we were doing."

    This Facebook treasure trove gave Obama an unprecedented ability to reach out to nonsupporters. More important, the campaign could deliver carefully targeted campaign messages disguised as messages from friends to millions of Facebook users.

    The campaign readily admitted that this subtle deception was key to their Facebook strategy.

    "People don't trust campaigns. They don't even trust media organizations," Teddy Goff, the Obama campaign's digital director, said at the time. "Who do they trust? Their friends."

    According to a Time magazine account just after Obama won re-election, "the team blitzed the supporters who had signed up for the app with requests to share specific online content with specific friends simply by clicking a button."

    The effort was called a "game-changer" in the 2012 election, and the Obama campaign boasted that it was "the most groundbreaking piece of technology developed for the campaign."

    ReplyDelete
  2. REPEAT:

    In 2012 Obama's campaign boasted that more than a million people downloaded the app, which, given an average friend-list size of 190, means that as many as 190 million had at least some of their Facebook data vacuumed up by the Obama campaign — without their knowledge or consent.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unlike the Romney campaign, the Trump team was not going to allow itself to be flummoxed by the use of Facebook by Democrat, Hillary Clinton, with the total backing of the Obama administration and the FBI, DOJ, CIA, NSA and MSM.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Facebook, Google and Amazon have entered the political arena. Now they should pay the price.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Join the coming class action suit against Facebook.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The recent fury exposes a massive double standard on the part of those now raising hell.

    When Obama was exploiting Facebook users to help win re-election, it was an act of political genius. When Trump attempted something similar, with unclear results, it's a travesty of democracy and further evidence that somehow he stole the election.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      True. But face it, the videos of the guy from CA talking about using bribes, Ukrainian whores, and other compromising information to influence candidates kind of focuses the attention more than vague references to learning who my 'friends' are most of whom I don't even know.

      .

      Delete
  7. The Observer reported on Saturday that Cambridge Analytica acquired 50m Facebook profiles from a researcher in 2014. This appears to have been among the most consequential data breaches in history, with an impact that may rival the breach of financial records from Equifax.

    There are many problematic aspects to this. It appears the information was harvested by a researcher who collected data not only on the 270,000 or so users who Facebook said took his survey but also on their friends, who knew nothing about the survey, and then passed it to Cambridge Analytica in violation of Facebook’s terms of service. There are questions now over whether the data was destroyed.

    Facebook waited more than two years before revealing what the Observer described as “unprecedented data harvesting”.

    Facebook did not notify the affected users, as may be required by its 2011 consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

    Cambridge Analytica appears to have used the profiles to develop techniques for influencing voters.

    The company has denied wrongdoing, saying “no data from [the researcher] was used by Cambridge Analytica as part of the services it provided to the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign”. But there are questions over whether the Trump campaign appears nonetheless to have gained an advantage in the election from the data.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Obama's campaign harvested over there times as much.

      Delete
    2. You too may have been personally harmed.

      Join the coming class action lawsuit against Facebook, etal.

      Watch for it.

      Savvy money men like Quirk are planning on getting in when the up elevator $$$$ door opens.

      Make certain you don't miss out on a free payday !

      Delete
    3. Do the math.

      $40K award X 50,000,000 (50 million) plaintiffs....

      Get YOUR share.

      Mark Zuckerberg may suffer a slight dent in his lifestyle, but YOU'VE been harmed !

      Go for it !

      Delete
  8. White dude in his 30's, looks like -


    REPORT: AUSTIN BOMBING SUSPECT DEAD...

    KILLED AS POLICE TRIED TO ARREST... DEVELOPING....DRUDGE


    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5526159/Austin-bomber-shot-dead-police-try-arrest-him.html

    Brilliant guy walks into FedEx in full view of security camera.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blew himself up -

      BREAKING: Austin bombing suspect dies as police close in, official says

      Tony Plohetski American-Statesman Staff
      3:48 a.m. Wednesday, March 21, 2018 Local News
      LOCAL

      A man whom authorities were attempting to arrest early Wednesday in a string of bombing attacks in Austin killed himself with an explosive device as authorities closed in, a high-ranking law enforcement official told the American-Statesman....

      https://www.statesman.com/news/breaking-austin-bombing-suspect-dies-police-close-official-says/KZmUAGvKlNazDr31EzeUzI/

      Delete
  9. March 20, 2018
    So where was the outcry when Obama mined Facebook?
    By Monica Showalter

    While the press is falling over itself in search of horrifying adjectives to describe the Facebook “data breach,” calling it the scandal of the century (one example of this henny-penny stuff is in this morning's Axios, for example) they seem to have forgotten the way they treated President Obama’s use of data on millions of Facebook users to win reelection in 2012.

    Back then, Obama was described as a genius - genius!....




    https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2018/03/so_where_was_the_outcry_when_obama_mined_facebook.html#ixzz5ANMvNAWW

    ReplyDelete

  10. As a candidate, Donald Trump vowed to sue the slew of women accusing him of sexual misconduct. That never happened.


    Cadet Bone Spur's inability to perform is telling.


    Promises Made - Promises Broken

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sexual misconducts with whores, hookers and prostitutes is when you don't lay enough Benjamins on the night stand. You can't have sexual misconduct with a prostitute, that is what they sell. It is their currency in trade. Virtue is not. Accepting a whore's promise not to tell and expecting them to be discernible and keep their promise is naive but not an impeachable offense in the real estate development trade.

    You need to sharpen your own discernibility spurs if you think otherwise. Perhaps you should bone up on some recent history of presidential misconduct starting with the Kennedy brothers and Bill Clinton.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      If Trump suffers any legal damage from these stories it likely won't be because of getting his rocks off with any of these women. It will be from something like campaign finance violations given Cohen's part in this.

      .

      Delete
  12. I seem to recall that the Democrat "Lion of the Senate" was a dog when it came to sexual misconduct. The honorable Edward Kennedy maintained the family tradition and got a girl killed for his sexual misconduct and manslaughter and the corrupt Massachusetts Democratic machine not only covered for him but hid the evidence.

    ReplyDelete

  13. The Donald, by all accountants, has been an excellent parent, and that counts for something.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Bomber had two room mates, according to Fox.


    Hmmmm.....accomplices ?


    24 years old, wearing a wig at FedEx.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Police were able to track him using the info given off by his cell phone.

      Delete
    2. The two room mates are talking to Police and are not suspects.

      Delete

    3. Report: Austin Bomber Identified
      BREAKING: Austin serial bombing suspect identified as 24-year-old Mark Anthony Conditt, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation


      https://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2018/03/report-austin-bomber-identified/

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    5. Picture of Mark Anthony Conditt here:

      http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/03/who_is_mark_anthony_conditt_au.html

      Delete
  15. Thr reason that Cambridge Analytica is in the news about "data mining" ...

    Not because it was illegal ...

    But to familiarize the public with Cambridge Analytica.

    It will soon come to light that CA worked with the Russians, providing the analysis of the data mined, to influence the 2016 election

    The email from CA to Wikileaks wanting to utilize the emails STOLEN from the DNC is already in the public domain..

    CONSPIRACY.

    The punchline will have 'em rolling in the aisles.



    Promises Made - Promises Broken

    ReplyDelete
  16. .

    From Tom's Dispatch...

    The Media's Real Crime: The State of America's Perpetual Wars and Why its Ignored

    This article is long, too long to paste here. But it's a good read for anyone who believes or purports to believe that America's state of perpetual war began with Obama's inauguration and ended when Trump took over.

    “Seven trillion dollars. What a mistake.” My. My.

    The article attacks the media, specifically the New York Times, but also the media in general for providing only a superficial account of what's going on, a factoid here a battle there but no detailed analysis showing the overall effect on this country thus leaving the public ignorant and disinterested, fat, dumb, and happy just the way they like it.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What is needed is someone with guts and naiveté, someone who doesn't know the difference between an ism and a kangaroo.

      You da man, Quirk-O.

      Delete
  17. .

    Yemen: Another Congressional Fail

    The War on Terror is Extended and Expanded for 'National Security Reasons'

    Only a fool trips on what's behind him and the ship of fools that is the Senate trips along unabated.

    Congress held a heated debate on how to confront Iran in the Donald Trump era today as the Senate held its first debate and vote on US participation in the Saudi-led intervention against the Houthis in Yemen.

    By a vote of 55-44, the Senate voted to kill a bipartisan effort to end US support for an aerial campaign that has killed thousands of civilians over the past three years. While proponents of the measure decried the humanitarian toll and lack of congressional oversight, the specter of Iran loomed over the debate.

    “The Trump administration has tried to justify our involvement in the Yemen war as necessary to push back on Iran,” bill sponsor Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said ahead of the vote. “While Iran’s support for Houthi insurgents is of serious concern for all of us, the truth is that this war has increased, not decreased, the opportunities for Iranian interference.”

    “As it has done in political vacuums throughout the region, Iran will continue to expand its proxy power,” said Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Through its Revolutionary Guard, Iran will continue shipping weapons to the Houthis.”


    Prior to the start of the Saudi war of attrition on Yemen and its civilians, the only part Iran played there was the sale of small arms and training (in Iran) to the Houthis. Al Qaeda was a well organized force there but relatively small. Now, the Houthis control 25% of the country including the capital. Al Qaeda has expanded their area of influence over another 25% and are reported to be the most organized land force there. Meanwhile, the Saudis continue their indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas and blockading of food and drugs shipments to the civilian population that has for a long time been on the verge of starvation. They have been condemned by the UN and every humanitarian group on the planet. And along with them, the US which is complicit in the slaughter and without which the Saudis wouldn't be able to continue their genocide.

    The fact is the US has now national interest affected by Yemen, well, except for the denunciation we are receiving around the world. Our excuse for being there, in fact our 'excuse' for every bullshit move we make in the ME, Iran.

    The testimony of our military in trying to justify are participation in the horror of Yemen is telling. You should look it up and read it.

    .


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Prior to the start of the Saudi war of attrition on Yemen and its civilians, the only part Iran played there was the sale of small arms and training (in Iran) to the Houthis.

      That sounds like Iran started it. Arming and shipping in trained soldiers from.....(Iran)

      Probably using the tons of money O'bozo sent them for the nuclear 'deal'.

      Do you know what a kangaroo is ?

      Do you know what an ism is ?

      Delete
    2. .

      Damn, Bob, you are stupid.

      The US had been in Yemen directly affecting events for years. That was were Obama was taking out Americans and wedding parties with drones. The government that was overthrown was a puppet of Saudi Arabia. Al Qaeda had a bigger presence than Iran and it was no where near what it is today.

      Regardless of that, what national interest does the US have in Yemen? What national interest do we have that justifies the intentional slaughter and starving of civilian population (ie war crimes) that without us couldn't continue, crimes that this country has been condemned for around the world.

      If you consider asking about these issues is naïve IMO you are one piss poor excuse for a human being.

      .

      Delete
    3. Yemen is about 45% Shia and 55% Sunni. They are always having a big tussle and Iran began stirring it up.

      I think you are a sadist for not supporting my plan to provide safe zones in Syria.

      I think you are one piss shit poor excuse of a human being, lacking any compassion as you do, and hanging around a mafia barber shop because you have nothing better to do !

      :>O)!

      Delete
    4. Yemen is another country that sounds like it is ripe for a amicable divorce.

      I know ! Divide it up and have the USA create safe zones.

      What would you say to that, Quirk ?

      You'd rather the USA get out and watch them slaughter each other to the tune of hundreds of thousands like in Syria ?

      Delete
    5. There aren't any good guys in Yemen so who gives a shit ?

      Delete
    6. Germany Selling Iran Chemical Weapons Tech as Dems Block USA Ambassador....DRUDGE

      Chemical weapons to Iran for use where ? Yemen ? Israel ?

      Germany Selling Iran Chemical Weapons Tech, Boosting Anti-Israel Efforts as U.S. Dems Block Trump Ambassador
      Administration officials alarmed over bid to block Trump's ambassador to Germany

      Richard Grenell /Richard Grenell / Getty Images
      BY: Adam Kredo
      March 21, 2018 11:45 am

      U.S. officials are increasingly alarmed by a congressional block on President Donald Trump's pick to be the next ambassador to Germany, a holdup that comes as Berlin pursues a host of anti-Israel measures and is growing closer to Iran, according to multiple administration insiders who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon.

      As Democrats in Congress continue to hold the nomination of Richard Grenell, a veteran Republican diplomat who was tapped by Trump to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Germany, the post remains vacant, sparking concerns the United States is ceding leverage amid sensitive discussions regarding the future of the landmark Iran nuclear deal.

      The vacancy also has left the United States with little voice to combat a series of anti-Israel efforts being pursued by the German government. Trump administration insiders are becoming increasingly fed-up with the block on Grenell, telling the Free Beacon that U.S. diplomats currently helming the post have been bungling critical national security priorities, including the Iran portfolio and recent efforts by Germany to sell Tehran sensitive equipment used by the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria to produce chemical weapons.

      "The current leader of the embassy is not an ambassador," said one senior U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation, referring to Kent Logsdon, a former Obama administration official who is serving as the chargé d'affaires ad interim in Berlin....

      http://freebeacon.com/national-security/germany-selling-iran-chemical-weapons-tech-boosting-anti-israel-efforts-u-s-dems-block-trump-ambassador/

      Delete
  18. .

    Putin's Poodle?

    Donald Trump calls Putin to congratulate him on his win in the Russian (ahem) 'election'. Then gets furious when info on the call is leaked.

    Why?

    He's done the same thing numerous times before in similar situations with similar autocrats and similar 'so-called' elections, Putin, Erdogan, Sisi, Duerte, Xi...

    Trump isn't subtle in showing the types of leaders he admires.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nah.

      He's just being polite.


      A Stunning Leak Rattles Trump And His Aides

      Why it matters: The speed and sensitivity of the leak prompted immediate finger-pointing within the administration, as aides reeled from a leak that could only have come from a small group of people, each of whom is trusted with sensitive national secrets.

      Possible motives include concern about how Trump is handling Putin, frustration by the officials about Trump ignoring their advice, or internal power games.

      A White House official, furious about the WaPo story: “This is the way Trump is. If he’s doing business with you or working with you in some way, he’s going to congratulate you.”

      The official said: “The idea he’s being soft on Russia is crap. He approved Javelin missiles to Ukraine, closed the consulate in San Francisco, approved the sanctions. … But … he doesn’t want his personal relationship [with Putin] to be acrimonious.”


      https://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2018/03/stunning-leak-rattles-trump-aides/

      Churchill even declared war on Japan, and was polite about it.

      Not all of us grew up in Detroit.

      Delete
    2. .

      The official said: “The idea he’s being soft on Russia is crap. He approved Javelin missiles to Ukraine, closed the consulate in San Francisco, approved the sanctions. … But … he doesn’t want his personal relationship [with Putin] to be acrimonious.”

      Bull titty, Chuckles.

      Trump sat on those sanctions for months. We wouldn't have them now if Putin hadn't gone on a poisoning spree and Trump was shamed into doing it.

      .

      Delete
    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    4. 'Bull titty, Chuckles.'

      You're rude !

      You sound like you're sitting in a Mafia Barber Shop or something.

      Delete
    5. Obama Congratulated Putin on His 2012 Election

      https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/03/barack-obama-vladimir-putin-congratulatory-call-2012/

      Delete
    6. Quirk isn't subtle in showing...

      Delete
  19. Conditt's picture is up on Drudge.

    He doesn't look like a terrorist.

    He looks like a beginning college student.

    The one or two fellows he was living with must have known something about what he was doing or was going to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. A 2012 blog, which appears to be part of a government class project at Austin Community College, lists the author as Mark Conditt of Pflugerville, Texas. Conditt is believed to have been a resident of Pflugerville, north of Austin.

      NBC News could not immediately confirm if the blog belonged to the suspect, but public records show only one Mark Conditt in Pflugerville. Austin Community College confirmed that a "Mark Anthony Conditt" born in June 1994 was a student from 2010-2012, but did not graduate, adding that the school is "working with Austin Police Department to provide any information they need."

      The blog espouses political beliefs, including entries describing why the author believes gay marriage should not be legalized and why the United States should do away with sex offender registration.

      "I am not that politically inclined. I view myself as a conservative, but I don't think I have enough information to defend my stance as well as it should be defended," a description of the author reads. "The reasons I am taking this class is because I want to understand the US government, and I hope that it will help me clarify my stance, and then defend it."

      Jeff Reeb, a neighbor of the Conditt family, said the 24-year-old was "a very normal kid" and that the family is "extremely nice."

      "I can't imagine what any of them are going through ... just really nice, calm family if you can say it that way," Reeb said.


      https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/austin-bombings-suspect-believed-neutralized-sources-n858576

      Doesn't seem to make much sense.

      Delete
  20. To hell with the poets and what happened yesterday -

    University of Wisconsin campus proposes elimination of majors such as English, history
    BY REBECCA SAVRANSKY - 03/21/18 07:55 AM EDT

    The University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point is reportedly discussing a plan to eliminate 13 majors including English, philosophy, history and Spanish.

    The campus — one of 11 campuses in the University of Wisconsin system — would instead focus on programs that have "clear career pathways," The Washington Post reported.

    Under the proposal, the school would expand areas such as marketing, management, graphic design and computer information systems — areas that "have demonstrated value and demand in the region," according to the school.

    The school's administration is framing the idea as a way to increase its declining enrollment and to deal with a multimillion-dollar deficit, according to the Post.

    Faculty and students, however, plan a sit-in this week at the campus administration building to oppose the change.

    The plan needs to be approved by a campus governance committee and the University of Wisconsin system's chancellor and Board of Regents for it to take effect, according to the Post.

    “To fund this future investment, resources would be shifted from programs with lower enrollment, primarily in the traditional humanities and social sciences,” the school said in a statement.

    “Although some majors are proposed to be eliminated, courses would continue to be taught in these fields, and minors or certificates will be offered.”

    http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/379456-university-of-wisconsin-campus-proposes-plan-to-eliminate

    ReplyDelete
  21. Data You Can Believe In

    The Obama Campaign’s Digital Masterminds Cash In


    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/magazine/the-obama-campaigns-digital-masterminds-cash-in.html

    ReplyDelete
  22. Lobbyist Investigating Seth Rich Murder Is Shot Twice and Run Over by Car – Suspect in Custody

    http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/03/lobbyist-investigating-seth-rich-murder-is-shot-twice-and-run-over-by-car-suspect-in-custody/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      I don't understand why you only put up the headline. The rest of the story is hilarious.

      And it has a happy ending. Well, not for the lobbyist as he was shot in the ass but at least the dachshund wasn't harmed.

      .

      Delete
    2. I don't understand why you mimic the MSM's obvious double standard.

      Delete
    3. .

      Why would you say that Doug unless you are simply looking to get me started.

      I'm not mimicking anyone or anything.

      The truth is I didn't recall Obama congratulating Putin. It wasn't all that memorable. I do remember Obama's failed attempted at 'resetting' the relationship with Russia. The reason I remember it is that it was so damn funny. You do recalled the failed button don't you? You probably recall the faulty translation of the message too. Good stuff. Hilarious.

      But tell us the truth Doug, just between you and me, no one else is listening, did you remember that Obama congratulated Putin before you read it in the National Enquirer today. I mean Putin's term is 6 years long so that would put it back in 2012. Six years ago and it made that much of an impression on you?

      Also, what the hell does it matter what Obama did six years ago? You might not have heard about it but Obama hasn't been president for over a year now. How far back did that article go. Did they check on what GWB did? Clinton? GHWB? Reagan?

      The reason Trump's is being criticized is...

      1. Russia is not our friend, Syria, Eastern Europe, interference in elections in democracies around the world.

      2. They tried to disrupt the US election in 2016.

      3. He has gone back and forth (at least a half dozen times) on whether he thinks they were even responsible for trying to interfere with the election, sometimes it's yes others no. I don't even know what his latest position is.

      4. I still haven't heard him come right out and condemn them over those actions. Trump refuses to just come out and condemn them for anything.

      5. Congress passed sanctions authority against Russia over their interference in our elections last summer and have been pressing Trump to impose sanctions ever since. If he wouldn't even condemn Russia for doing the act why would anyone think he would impose sanctions on them?

      6. Trump stalled for months and the only reason he finally moved on the sanctions is the pressure he was getting when Putin started poisoning people around the world.

      7. Trump is definitely Putin's poodle. The question is why?

      8. Of the possible reasons, I am being kind when I say its seems to be that he just likes authoritarian leaders who have few rules and do what they want.

      The records pretty clear.

      .



      Delete
    4. Yeah, praise Obama and Trash Trump for uttering the same WORDS.

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    6. ...good way for Quirk to mask his refusal to address/admit to the manifest corruption, dishonesty, and bias in "Justice" FBI, and the rest of the deep state.
      And the media.

      And the threat they are to our liberties.

      Delete
    7. "The records pretty clear."

      Reset Button

      "Tell Vlad I'll have more flexibility"

      Delete
    8. Quirk is definitely Media's poodle. The question is why?

      Delete
    9. Even Google has yet to clean up Obama's Putin Poodle Shit.

      "...that's different, his smells good."
      - Quirk

      https://www.google.com/search?q=obama+praises+putin&rlz=1CAACAO_enUS720US720&oq=obama+praises+putin&aqs=chrome..69i57.7039j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

      Delete
    10. .

      Yeah, praise Obama and Trash Trump for uttering the same WORDS.


      :o)

      Damn, Doug, you are cray cray.

      Once, again you prove you have absolutely no understanding of the concept of context or that context clues help explain the words being used in a given situation.

      You are basically, like our other English major, literate only to the degree of a second grader. What did you say your degree was in, Botany, Biology...?

      .

      Delete
  23. .

    You'd rather the USA get out and watch them slaughter each other to the tune of hundreds of thousands like in Syria ?

    Saudi Arabia couldn't continue their war in Yemen without US support and arms.

    I rather the US got out and avoided being involved in supporting the war crimes of the Saudis.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whatever pleases you just tickles me plumb to death.

      Your choice.


      Delete
  24. Churchill congratulated Stalin on Stalin's birthday.

    ReplyDelete
  25. World Poetry Day:

    Roses are Red, Violets Blue, Quirk loves his programmers and so should you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      :o)

      Doug:

      'Quirk doesn't visit the same conspiracy sites I do (Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, 10chan, American Thinker) so he must be controlled by the MSM'.

      The "MSM" is just one of Doug's bugbears like the 'Deep State' or that 'Secret Society' he and Ron Johnson are always talking about. People see ol Doug coming down the street in his tin foil hat mumbling about Deep States, and Illuminati, and 'Left-wing conspiracies' and they quickly cross to the other side of the street to avoid making eye contact.

      One scary dude.

      .

      Delete
    2. To all:

      American Thinker is not a conspiracy site.

      Nor is it a racist site.

      It is a conservative site.

      Delete
    3. "American Thinker (affectionately nicknamed "American Stinker" by its fans) is an online wingnut publication that's more or less the poor man's WND or Newsmax. They've published articles by such conservative luminaries as Noel Sheppard (NewsBusters) and Pamela Geller and such climate "experts" as S. Fred Singer and Christopher Monckton, as well as an interview with (and hagiography of) white nationalistJared Taylor.[2]

      The magazine, of course, is chock-full of right-wing conspiracy theories, woo, and pseudoscience. On the conspiracy side, they promote birtherism, "creeping sharia," red-baiting, and still occasionally prattle on about Vince Foster. On the science side, they concentrate on creationism and global warming denialism."

      https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/American_Thinker

      Delete
    4. Rational wiki is a lefty toilet -

      Liberal bias - RationalWiki
      https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Liberal_bias
      There is a long history of accusing the media of a liberal bias, mainly as a method to discredit critics without having to disprove the point they make (ad hominem). Papers that supported the civil rights movement and labor union movement in the United States were frequently accused of having liberal and/or communist ...

      ‎From a conservative POV · ‎Other liberally curious things · ‎Motives
      Essay:Common criticisms of RationalWiki - RationalWiki
      https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Essay:Common_criticisms_of_RationalWiki

      Jump to It's biased - See the main article on this topic: Appeal to bias. Is RW biased? Yes. All information is. However, "biased" does not necessarily mean "wrong", but merely "opinion-having". RW just hopes that its bias agrees with reality. If you think RW is wrong, there are several solutions.
      Urban Dictionary: RationalWiki
      https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=RationalWiki

      Originally the "rational" wiki was created to refute certain errors on its rival wiki but it soon became a gathering ground for social justice warriors, liberals of all sorts and intolerant atheist bigots to spread their biased and nutty ideologies. The wiki quickly became filled with more inaccuracies than Conservapedia, the biggest ...
      Is RationalWiki a trustworthy source? - Quora
      https://www.quora.com/Is-RationalWiki-a-trustworthy-source

      Mar 20, 2015 - But when it comes to certain topics (like the historicity of Jesus)… not so much. You see, RationalWiki is heavily biased. Unlike Wikipedia, it doesn't hold to a Neutral Point of View. It's pretty clear that it has an atheistic bias. Take for example his take on Paul and Acts of the Apostles. Paul of Tarsus - RationalWiki. First of all, it ...

      Delete
  26. Pics/video included

    Zoo figures out why lioness mysteriously grew a mane
    Meagan Flynn The Washington Post

    4:26 a.m. Wednesday, March 21, 2018 Atlanta News


    The mane that Bridget the lioness mysteriously started growing in 2017 looked more like a scruffy beard compared to the wild blowouts sported by the kings of the jungle.

    But, still, it struck the Oklahoma City Zoo and Bridget's fans as quite odd. Given only males are supposed to grow manes, no one understood where Bridget's was coming from. Bridget, an 18-year-old lion at the Oklahoma City Zoo, had lived a perfectly healthy life. She didn't eat any unusual foods, sticking to the same strict, diet that all the other lions did. She didn't take any unusual medications with a long list of side-effects either. But suddenly she had a beard, and the veterinarians were baffled. The zoo called it, "The Curious Case of Bridget's Mane."

    On Tuesday, however, Dr. Jennifer D'Agostino, director of veterinary services at the zoo, broadcast a message in a video the zoo posted on its blog: "I'm here to tell you today that we think the curious case has been solved," she said.

    Blood tests held the key to the zoological mystery. First, veterinarians had to train Bridget to cooperate for blood tests that didn't use anesthesia, as the Washington Post reported last month. The veterinarians prepared Bridget for drawing blood instead using what's called operant conditioning: Each time Bridget allowed the vets to get one step closer to drawing blood from her tail, Bridget would be rewarded with a slice of horsemeat, imported from Canada. D'Agostino told The Post that, if they could compare Bridget's blood samples and hormone levels with those of her lioness sister, Tia, that might lead to answers revealing the source of Bridget's mane.

    "She did fantastic, because she's just so smart. She caught on really fast," D'Agostino told the Post. "Once she had her meat, she had no problem."

    Finally, the results of the tests came in.

    It turns out, despite veterinarians' expectations, Bridget's testosterone levels were perfectly normal, nearly identical to her sister Tia's. The source of the mane, D'Agostino said Tuesday, stemmed instead from significantly elevated levels of two other hormones: cortisol and androstenedione.


    Those hormones are both produced in the adrenal gland, while androstenedione is also produced in the reproductive gland. In both humans and lions, cortisol is responsible for regulating various functions such as metabolism and the immune system. Androstenedione is a precursor to sex hormones including testosterone, meaning it can be responsible for producing male traits — such as beards or, for lions, manes.

    Bridget was making two-and-a-half times more cortisol than Tia and a seven times more androstenedione, the veterinarians found.

    But, the next question was why?

    D'Agostino said they believe that, since both hormones are produced by the adrenal gland, a small benign tumor may have developed on the gland, causing the erratic hormones.

    Other than the fabulous lady-mane, though, D'Agostino said this has not caused any noticeable shifts in Bridget's behavior or any health problems, which isn't expected to change. They'll continue to use the horsemeat treats to take Bridget's blood several times a year to monitor her hormones and make sure she remains healthy, D'Agostino said.

    "We do suspect she will continue to have her mini-mane. I don't think it's probably going to get much bigger than it is now," D'Agostino said, "but most likely she will have that for the rest of her life. Otherwise, she's going to have no changes whatsoever. She will continue to do her normal routine here at the zoo, and everyone will get to enjoy seeing our special lion."

    https://www.ajc.com/news/zoo-figures-out-why-lioness-mysteriously-grew-mane/0gZVCuan4fSYfC1lOIbP6O/

    ReplyDelete


  27. .

    There is no MSM Left Wing Bias.

    That is all.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies


    1. .


      FBI leadership is not a threat to our liberty.

      .

      Delete
    2. Of course they are a threat to your liberty - you do the crime you'll do the time.

      Delete
    3. Of course they are a threat to your liberty - you do the crime you'll do the time.

      I could not agree more.

      Delete
    4. .

      I see my groupie Dougita is back. And man am I pissed.

      I told the guys not to feed her and she would probably just go away but this morning I saw a couple empty SPAM tins out by the back entrance. One had a little water left in it. The other a plastic spork. This tells me someone is smuggling food to her off the buffet table.

      I've tasked my chief of staff, Tony Donuts, with finding out who is leaking the food to her. I find it disloyal and possibly illegal. He thinks that because of the SPAM link, it might be 'Honolulu" Hal, a Hawaiian lawyer who is working as a trainee roadie for us on a part time basis until he can get back on his feet.

      Personally, my bet is on Arvid, a big Swede, not too bright but a gentle soul. He's a big man, big hands and a head to match, huge pendulous jowls. He's been given the nickname 'Squirrel' because of those jowls. People suspect he spends extra time at the buffet table filling those jowls with food he can munch on throughout the afternoon. I suspect he's doing something else with that food right now. He always was a sucker for balding chicks with slew eyes.

      Tony's got his orders.

      .


      lso one of our roadies.

      Delete
  28. Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams was hired in 2016 and Phoenix Fire Chief Kara Kalkbrenner was hired in 2013.

    The women who rule Phoenix say their gender had nothing to do with why they were chosen to lead.

    ...

    “It can be done,” Chief Williams said. “Regardless of what that is, don’t let obstacles stay in your way.

    Just keep moving forward until you find what you’re passionate about. Had I stopped every time someone said I couldn’t do something, heck I wouldn’t have been a police officer, let alone a police chief, twice.


    Breaking Barriers

    ReplyDelete
  29. .

    ...good way for Quirk to mask his refusal to address/admit to the manifest corruption, dishonesty, and bias in "Justice" FBI, and the rest of the deep state.
    And the media.


    You just won't let it go, Doug. I was going to answer the same question you just put up the other night here...

    DougTue Mar 20, 08:06:00 PM EDT

    Why DON'T you care about rampant dishonest, lawlessness, and violation of rights?

    NOT funny to me.


    But it was late when I started to answer and I was tired so I simply put it away for another time. Looks like this is the time.

    Why don't I care, Doug? Well, I do. I think it's terrible. Satisfied?

    NOT funny to you? Heck, Doug, it's not funny to me either. And most of the time your buddy pulls the same shit.

    I don't know how else to put it other than you boys are simply witless that or simply simple.

    If someone doesn't immediately echo your views that someone is guilty of some dishonesty, lawlessness, or violation of rights you automatically assume that means that someone supports, likes, or considers that person innocent.

    The phrase 'I haven't made up my mind yet' is anathema to you dolts.

    If they don't say someone should be jailed even when there is a lack of proof of a crime you say they are making excuses for them.

    If they ask you to simply provide some actual proof in order to make your case you run away and pout.

    Either you guys are suffering serious short term memory loss or your memory is selective or you are just friggin lying. Especially you, Doug. I can criticize someone to hell and back but if I don't do it daily (hourly?) you have no recollection of it. It's just gone. Example...

    I was as big a critic of Clinton during the election as anyone here. The reason you don't remember it is because I was also one of the biggest critics of Trump. That and because I called you pricks on all the fake news stories you were putting out, Pizzagate, child sex rings, drugs, body doubles, ballots hidden away in warehouses.

    {...}

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. {...}

      The other night you put this out...

      DougTue Mar 20, 03:31:00 PM EDT
      .
      Hillary did not break the law.

      Comey, Brennan, FBI, Obama Justice, et-al, likewise.

      ie, there is no "Deep State" corruption.

      The media are doggedly pursuing it all, and won't stop 'til they get to the truth.
      What difference at this point does it make?


      .

      That one comment says it all. During the build-up to the election I was condemning Hillary as much as anyone else here. On the issues, that is. But because I'm not doing it now day in day out like you morons two years after the election, you guys get your panties in a twist. 'Hillary is a bad, bad, bad, bad girl.' Satisfied? Now go away and play with yourself until the IG report comes out.

      Comey? I've called him a pomous, self-serving ass. I haven't any problem with him being fired. Did he do anything that was illegal? Not that I know of. That too should be answered when the IG report comes out. There's also Congressional investigations going on that might give some answer. If evidence comes back actually showing he did something illegal I won't defend him. If you've got some evidence now that he did something illegal let me know. Maybe I missed it.

      Brennen? Within the last day or two I've said Brennen lied to Congress and admitted he lied and that he should be punished. I condemned him and Clapper at the time they did it. What the hell more do you want, dipshit?

      {...}

      Delete

    2. {...}

      Obama? I was one of the biggest critics of Obama when he was in office. But here's some news. He's no longer in office. As to all the accusations made about what he was doing during the election most of which have been debunked, again the IG investigation is supposed to address that. I can wait. So far I haven't seen anything to prove he did anything illegal. Let me know what the evidence is.

      The FBI? The same applies. There's plenty of factoids out there that might raise suspicions among the suspicious but I've seen no evidence presented of anything illegal. Even with MCCabe. He was accused of lying and was fired. There was word he was criticized in the IG report but I haven't seen anything documenting what he had lied about. If you have let me know.

      The 'Deep State'? Stop it. You people sound like you're touting a new Dan Brown novel. If you are talking about a lot of people who don't like Trump, grow up. He's a very unlikable man. If you are talking about people entrenched in D.C. who use government work to advance their own personal ends, hell, the team Trump brought in with him (with the exception of a couple of rounders like Bannon et al) are the deep state on steroids. Most of the leaks Trump whines about came from his own people those that he didn't leak himself. Look at the leak on his congrats to Putin (that is unless Putin leaked it himself, something I wouldn't put past him). Physician cure thyself.

      The media are doggedly pursuing it all, and won't stop 'til they get to the truth.

      Well, I can understand your impatience given that the phony news sites where you gets most of your breaking news simply have to put in an order for some dirt at one of those fakes news factories and zim zam there it is within a half hour or so.

      What difference at this point does it make?

      That's where our philosphical views clearly diverge. I look at the Trump administration and the things he is doing that are IMO hurting the country right now. Each morning, I look at the latest crises that have developed many of which are intentionally created by Trump himself with his tweets and I respond to them rather than to things that happened two years ago and aren't directly affecting me right now.

      You on the other hand are the exact opposite. You dwell on the things that have happened in the past, things that aren't affecting you right now and you ignore the things going on in this administration right now that are affecting you and everyone in the US.

      It's a matter of priorities with me. To my mind, they are all dicks. Had Hillary won, I would be criticizing her just as I am currently pounding on Trump. Well, not exactly the same way. I doubt old Hillary would be stirring the pot daily with her tweets. Trump wears me out with the way he is always throwing shit in the game. He likes to stir the chaos and ride the wave. Exciting until the time you wipe out.

      You boys are part of the 70% who prefer the conspiracy theories, the fake news, and the colorful stories. You boys be just a speculating, and assuming, and alleging to beat the band. Who needs proof? If it looks bad, it must be worse.

      I'm not like that. I would hate to be embarrassed by putting up some story pushing conspiracy theories that
      are always being debunked. You guys evidently aren't.

      If any of these guys is found guilty of anything, I'm sure you'll be back stating how you were right all along and I was wrong, 'nana nana na na'. If they are not you'll be whining about the 'Deep State or the Illuminati or Obama or some other bullshit, that or you'll just disappear for a couple days like Doug usually does.

      .

      Delete
  30. See and hear the pylon jump rope -

    Why Some People Can 'Hear' Silent Images
    By Brandon Specktor, Senior Writer | March 21, 2018 06:28am ET
    0 0 MORE
    4 Dec

    Lisa DeBruine 🏳️‍🌈
    @lisadebruine
    Replying to @lisadebruine
    Just re-stating for the morning crowd that this cool animation was created by @IamHappyToast (thanks to those who tracked down this info).


    HappyToast ★
    @IamHappyToast
    Hi there, yeah, for some reason people like cropping my name off the bottom pic.twitter.com/ekcOWeQNbR

    1:23 AM - Dec 4, 2017


    Here's a riddle: If a tree falls in a silent GIF, does it make a sound?

    The answer, for many of us, is a resounding yes (even if that sound exists only in our own heads). For proof of this, look no further than the"noisy GIF" that went viral on Twitter last December, showing a metal pylon playing jump rope with its buddies. Every time the pylon landed and the image shook, viewers reported hearing an audible thud, even though the GIF was totally silent....

    https://www.livescience.com/62080-why-we-hear-silent-images.html

    ReplyDelete