Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1977 - Vice principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his own shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lockdown, the SWAT Team is called, Jack is hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors are called in to assist traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1977 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police are called, SWAT team arrives and arrests Johnny and Mark. They are charged with assault and both are expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario: Jeffrey won't sit still in class, disrupts other students.
1977 - Jeffrey is sent to the principal's office and given a good paddling. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra provincial funding because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbour's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1977 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.
Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some Aspirin to school.
1977 - Mark shares Aspirin with the school principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - Police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario: Pedro fails high-school English.
1977 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by local human rights group. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that making English a requirement for graduation is racist. American Civil Liberties Union files class action lawsuit against the school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover July 4th firecrackers, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up an anthill.
1977 - Ants die.
2007 - The ATF and the SWAT Team are called and Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. DCFS investigates parents, siblings are removed from the home, computers are confiscated, and Johnny's dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario: Johnny falls during recess and scrapes his knee. His teacher, Mary, finds him crying, and gives him a hug to comfort him.
1977 - Johnny soon feels better and goes back to playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in federal prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
ONLY IN AMERICA!
A Charlotte, NC, lawyer purchased a box ofvery rare and expensive cigars then insured them against fire among other things. Within a month having smoked his entirestockpile of these great cigars and without yet having made even his first premium payment on the policy, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company. In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost "in series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason: that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion. The lawyer sued....and won!
In delivering the ruling the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The Judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and alsoguaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what isconsidered to be unacceptable fire," and was obligated to pay the claim. Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company acceptedthe ruling and paid $15,000.00 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare cigarslost in the "fires."
NOW FOR THE BEST PART... After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used againsthim, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and Was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000.00 fine.
This is a true story and was the 1st place winner in the recent Criminal Lawyers Award Contest.
In delivering the ruling the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The Judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and alsoguaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what isconsidered to be unacceptable fire," and was obligated to pay the claim. Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company acceptedthe ruling and paid $15,000.00 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare cigarslost in the "fires."
NOW FOR THE BEST PART... After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used againsthim, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and Was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000.00 fine.
This is a true story and was the 1st place winner in the recent Criminal Lawyers Award Contest.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Ben Stein
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?
I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.
But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something lik e this Happen?" (regarding Katrina)
Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.
She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?" (She said the same thing when interviewed after 9-11)
In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want praye r in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.
Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards. honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?
I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.
But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something lik e this Happen?" (regarding Katrina)
Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.
She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?" (She said the same thing when interviewed after 9-11)
In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want praye r in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.
Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards. honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals
from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail
reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that
included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in
English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained
that, 'whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.'
He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these
conferences rather than speaking French?'
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits,
Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak
German.'
from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail
reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that
included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in
English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained
that, 'whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.'
He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these
conferences rather than speaking French?'
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits,
Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak
German.'
Monday, November 12, 2007
13 THINGS PMS STANDS FOR:
1. PASS MY SHOTGUN
2. PSYCHOTIC MOOD SWING
3. PERPETUAL MUNCHING SPREE
4. PUFFY MID-SECTION
5. PEOPLE MAKE me SICK
6. PROVIDE ME with SWEETS
7. PARDON MY SOBBING
8. PIMPLES MAY SURFACE
9. PASS MY SWEATS
10. PISSY MOOD SYNDROME
11. POOR MEN SUCK
12. PACK MY STUFF
13. POTENTIAL MURDER SUSPECT
2. PSYCHOTIC MOOD SWING
3. PERPETUAL MUNCHING SPREE
4. PUFFY MID-SECTION
5. PEOPLE MAKE me SICK
6. PROVIDE ME with SWEETS
7. PARDON MY SOBBING
8. PIMPLES MAY SURFACE
9. PASS MY SWEATS
10. PISSY MOOD SYNDROME
11. POOR MEN SUCK
12. PACK MY STUFF
13. POTENTIAL MURDER SUSPECT
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Then there was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break one of the French engineers came back into the room saying "Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb
them?"
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: "Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck.. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?"
Once again, dead silence.
them?"
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: "Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck.. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?"
Once again, dead silence.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
From My Daughter
THE HORMONE HOSTAGE
THE HORMONE HOSTAGE KNOWS THAT THERE ARE DAYS IN THE MONTH WHEN ALL A MAN HAS TO DO IS OPEN HIS MOUTH & HE TAKES HIS LIFE INTO HIS OWN HANDS! THIS IS A HANDY GUIDE THAT SHOULD BE AS COMMON AS A DRIVER'S LICENSE IN THE WALLET OF EVERY HUSBAND, BOYFRIEND, CO-WORKER, OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER!
*********
DANGEROUS:
THE HORMONE HOSTAGE KNOWS THAT THERE ARE DAYS IN THE MONTH WHEN ALL A MAN HAS TO DO IS OPEN HIS MOUTH & HE TAKES HIS LIFE INTO HIS OWN HANDS! THIS IS A HANDY GUIDE THAT SHOULD BE AS COMMON AS A DRIVER'S LICENSE IN THE WALLET OF EVERY HUSBAND, BOYFRIEND, CO-WORKER, OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER!
*********
DANGEROUS:
WHAT'S FOR DINNER?
SAFER:
SAFER:
CAN I HELP YOU WITH DINNER?
SAFEST:
SAFEST:
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO FOR DINNER?
ULTRA SAFE:
HERE, HAVE SOME WINE.
ULTRA SAFE:
HERE, HAVE SOME WINE.
*********
DANGEROUS:
ARE YOU WEARING THAT?
SAFER:
WOW, YOU SURE LOOK GOOD IN BROWN!
SAFEST:
WOW, YOU SURE LOOK GOOD IN BROWN!
SAFEST:
WOW! LOOK AT YOU!
ULTRA SAFE:
HERE, HAVE SOME WINE.
*********
HERE, HAVE SOME WINE.
*********
DANGEROUS:
WHAT ARE YOU SO WORKED UP ABOUT?
SAFER:
SAFER:
COULD WE BE OVERREACTING?
SAFEST:
HERE'S MY PAYCHECK.
HERE'S MY PAYCHECK.
ULTRA SAFE:
HERE, HAVE SOME WINE.
*********
HERE, HAVE SOME WINE.
*********
DANGEROUS:
SHOULD YOU BE EATING THAT?
SHOULD YOU BE EATING THAT?
SAFER:
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF APPLES LEFT.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF APPLES LEFT.
SAFEST:
CAN I GET YOU A PIECE OF CHOCOLATE WITH THAT?
ULTRA SAFE:
HERE, HAVE SOME WINE.
*********
CAN I GET YOU A PIECE OF CHOCOLATE WITH THAT?
ULTRA SAFE:
HERE, HAVE SOME WINE.
*********
DANGEROUS:
WHAT DID YOU DO ALL DAY?
SAFER:
I HOPE YOU DIDN'T OVER-DO IT TODAY.
I HOPE YOU DIDN'T OVER-DO IT TODAY.
SAFEST:
I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU IN THAT ROBE!
I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU IN THAT ROBE!
ULTRA SAFE:
HERE, HAVE SOME MORE WINE.
HERE, HAVE SOME MORE WINE.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the
Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of 'empire
building' by George Bush.
He answered by saying, "Over the years, the United States has sent many of its
fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our
borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to
bury those that did not return."
It became very quiet in the room.
Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of 'empire
building' by George Bush.
He answered by saying, "Over the years, the United States has sent many of its
fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our
borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to
bury those that did not return."
It became very quiet in the room.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Signs that Your Getting OLD
1. You're asleep, but others worry that you're dead.
2. Your back goes out more than you do.
3. You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.
4. You buy a compass for the dash of your car/truck.
5. You are proud of your lawn mower.
6. Your best friend is dating someone half their age, and isn't breaking any laws.
7. Your arms are almost too short to read the newspaper.
8. You sing along with the elevator music.
9. You would rather go to work than stay home sick.
10. You enjoy hearing about other people's operations.
11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
12. People call at 9:00 p.m. and ask, "Did I wake you?"
13. You answer a question with, "Because I said so."
14. You send money to PBS.
15. The end of your tie doesn't come anywhere near the top of your pants.
16. You take a metal detector to the beach.
17. You know what the word "equity" means.
18. You can't remember the last time you laid on the floor to watch television.
19. Your ears are hairier than your head.
20. You talk about "good grass" and you're referring to someone's lawn.
21. You get into a heated argument about pension plans.
22. You got cable for The Weather Channel.
23. You can go bowling without drinking.
24. You have a party and the neighbors don't even realize it.
25. People send you this list.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Friday, November 02, 2007
The Origination of the Marathon
The Athenians had won at Marathon but they certainly had not destroyed the Persian army. They had made plans before the battle that if they won, they would get word back to Athens as soon as possible because they knew that the Persian fleet was sure to sail around Attica and attempt to take the city while it was undefended. The citizens were to man the walls and make it appear that Athens was strongly defended. Miltiades sent a young soldier to take word back to Athens. He ran the entire distance, 42.192 kms, shouted "We have won!" and fell dead of exhaustion. In memory of this event the Marathon Run was included among the contests since the first contemporary Olympic Games.
L.S.U. - Daily Reveille
Saban's got the ring; Miles has the class / Brian Hill / Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: Sports
Don't believe the hype. Saturday's game between LSU and Alabama is important because both teams are tied for the lead in the Southeastern Conference Western Division. Not because LSU coach Les Miles will be matched up against his predecessor Nick Saban.
Saban won a BCS title at LSU, and Tiger fans will always wonder how many more ADT crystal trophies would be in Baton Rouge had he stayed.Miles' 29-5 record at LSU is appreciated, but some say he won't measure up to Saban until he wins a title of his own. For the Tigers, the road to that title goes through Tuscaloosa, Ala., this year. And for Miles, it's the perfect opportunity to show he is the better coach. He's already proven it in other ways. Both coaches are considered tough guys, but because Miles has certain qualities his predecessor lacks - manners, loyalty and a cordial relationship with the media - he is painted as being softer than Saban.
Saban is known for his psychopath demeanor, but when LSU junior safety Curtis Taylor was penalized for a helmet-to-helmet hit on an Auburn receiver, Miles berated the referee in a way that made Saban look like Mr. Rogers. It was like watching Chicago Cubs manager Lou Pinella scream in the face of an umpire - and it was beautiful. It was also beautiful when Saban made former USC Trojan Manuel Wright cry in Dolphins training camp in 2005, but that was before the coach joined LSU's most despised rival. But I'm glad Saban is at Alabama. It will be that much sweeter to see him break the hearts of Bama fans when he rolls like the tide out of Tuscaloosa for a second chance to prove himself with another NFL team and a richer contract. The only place Miles may leave Baton Rouge for is Ann Arbor, Mich., but such a move would take a Saban-like lack of appreciation for how great it is to be at LSU and at the top of college football.
Fortunately Miles doesn't project himself as if LSU is lucky he is working in this town. Alabama fans probably know what that's like by now. As much as he is liked, Miles isn't perfect. He takes some heat for wearing his hat peculiarly high, but here in Baton Rouge, fans know football is not a fashion show. At least he doesn't have a fading tan left over from a two-season long spring break in Miami, and wear a cute straw hat that only Saban and somebody's grandmother would wear. As ridiculous as that hat looks, it is still better than the Bear Bryant-style houndstooth hat that Alabama fans wear like it is going out of style. Except that it is out of style - and has been that way for over 50 years now.Personal attire aside, the one thing LSU and Alabama fans have in common is a collective passion for their programs and two really good head coaches.
Winning on Saturday will not completely move Miles out of Saban's shadow, but it will be a start. When Miles wins a BCS National Title with the Tigers, he will finally get credit for being a better coach than Saban. Before that happens, delusional Alabama fans will just have to swallow their pride because Miles is going to use his much, much bigger "ones" to abuse Saban all game long Saturday night.
Don't believe the hype. Saturday's game between LSU and Alabama is important because both teams are tied for the lead in the Southeastern Conference Western Division. Not because LSU coach Les Miles will be matched up against his predecessor Nick Saban.
Saban won a BCS title at LSU, and Tiger fans will always wonder how many more ADT crystal trophies would be in Baton Rouge had he stayed.Miles' 29-5 record at LSU is appreciated, but some say he won't measure up to Saban until he wins a title of his own. For the Tigers, the road to that title goes through Tuscaloosa, Ala., this year. And for Miles, it's the perfect opportunity to show he is the better coach. He's already proven it in other ways. Both coaches are considered tough guys, but because Miles has certain qualities his predecessor lacks - manners, loyalty and a cordial relationship with the media - he is painted as being softer than Saban.
Saban is known for his psychopath demeanor, but when LSU junior safety Curtis Taylor was penalized for a helmet-to-helmet hit on an Auburn receiver, Miles berated the referee in a way that made Saban look like Mr. Rogers. It was like watching Chicago Cubs manager Lou Pinella scream in the face of an umpire - and it was beautiful. It was also beautiful when Saban made former USC Trojan Manuel Wright cry in Dolphins training camp in 2005, but that was before the coach joined LSU's most despised rival. But I'm glad Saban is at Alabama. It will be that much sweeter to see him break the hearts of Bama fans when he rolls like the tide out of Tuscaloosa for a second chance to prove himself with another NFL team and a richer contract. The only place Miles may leave Baton Rouge for is Ann Arbor, Mich., but such a move would take a Saban-like lack of appreciation for how great it is to be at LSU and at the top of college football.
Fortunately Miles doesn't project himself as if LSU is lucky he is working in this town. Alabama fans probably know what that's like by now. As much as he is liked, Miles isn't perfect. He takes some heat for wearing his hat peculiarly high, but here in Baton Rouge, fans know football is not a fashion show. At least he doesn't have a fading tan left over from a two-season long spring break in Miami, and wear a cute straw hat that only Saban and somebody's grandmother would wear. As ridiculous as that hat looks, it is still better than the Bear Bryant-style houndstooth hat that Alabama fans wear like it is going out of style. Except that it is out of style - and has been that way for over 50 years now.Personal attire aside, the one thing LSU and Alabama fans have in common is a collective passion for their programs and two really good head coaches.
Winning on Saturday will not completely move Miles out of Saban's shadow, but it will be a start. When Miles wins a BCS National Title with the Tigers, he will finally get credit for being a better coach than Saban. Before that happens, delusional Alabama fans will just have to swallow their pride because Miles is going to use his much, much bigger "ones" to abuse Saban all game long Saturday night.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
F.T.C. to Review Online Ads and Privacy
By LOUISE STORY - Published: November 1, 2007
How do you feel about having your online activities tracked so that you can be shown relevant advertising?
The Federal Trade Commission will hold meetings today and tomorrow about online privacy. The questions they will entertain include how much control people need or want over the vast trove of information that corporate America routinely collects about people as they click from site to site on the Internet.
In advance of the F.T.C. meetings, a coalition of consumer groups called yesterday for a do-not-track list that would permit people to opt out of so-called behavioral tracking programs, which use data about a consumer’s Web travels to deliver relevant ads. Separately, the AOL division of Time Warner announced that it would enhance its system that lets people remove themselves from tracking databases. Opting out does not reduce the number of ads; instead people would receive generic ones.
Most Web tracking is done anonymously, and marketing firms are typically aware only of the sites someone has visited, not their name or address. But as Web tracking technology grows more sophisticated, experts on digital privacy say it is inevitable that marketers will know not only which sites somebody has visited, but also who is doing the Web surfing.
The developments raise new questions for consumers. Do people care if advertisers follow their digital footsteps as much they care, say, about telemarketers calling them during dinner? Will public anxiety mount as customized marketing makes its way to cellphone and television screens?
With the advertising industry increasingly placing its hopes — and money — in the behavioral field, privacy advocates argue that the government needs to establish guidelines for digital privacy now. “It’s a digital data vacuum cleaner on steroids, that’s what the online ad industry has created,” said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “They’re tracking where your mouse is on the page, what you put in your shopping cart, what you don’t buy. A very sophisticated commercial surveillance system has been put in place.”
Internet advertising is just the latest flashpoint in the privacy debate. It has been eight years since the F.T.C. has held a public workshop on the use of consumer data in online ads, and a lot of the hypothetical situations described then are now a widespread reality.
Many executives in the advertising industry do not see anything wrong with online targeting. They argue that the practice benefits consumers, who see more relevant ads. And they contend that for consumers, relinquishing some innocuous personal data is a small trade-off for free access to the rich content of the Internet, much of which is ad-supported.
“Why should the direct mail firms be able to target like that, and we’re not? All because it’s electronic?” said David J. Moore, chief executive of 24/7 Real Media, which is owned by the advertising conglomerate the WPP Group. “Ultimately, if you want the content to remain free on the Web, you need to at least give us the information to monetize it.”
But there is growing concern, even among online companies, about what information is being used to deliver ads to people.
“The market is getting edgier and edgier, and what is accepted in the marketplace gets dodgier and dodgier,” said Martin E. Abrams, the executive director of the Center for Information Policy Leadership at the law firm Hunton & Williams, a research organization financed by companies like Google, Microsoft and Best Buy. “We have really moved to a world where we say consumers need to police the market, and, increasingly, it is a harder world to police.”
Some observers say that many people do not really mind the targeting. Recent privacy surveys have found that younger people do not care as much about privacy as their parents do, but privacy groups say that is because people do not understand how much information is gathered.
“If people were shown all the stuff that’s been collected, I think they would be more appalled,” said Richard M. Smith, an Internet consultant who will speak on the F.T.C.’s opening panel.
Ian Ayres, a professor at Yale Law School who has written a book about data mining, said, “If a computer is scanning my X-ray at an airport, I feel differently than if a human undresses me.”
Mr. Ayres cautioned that online data could be taken too far; companies could use it to discriminate against customers or charge wealthier ones higher prices. And because the Web is less transparent than a shopping mall, those actions might go undetected.
Behavioral targeting is not the only kind used online. Some companies scan e-mail messages and search queries to figure out which ads might be relevant to people.
Facebook, the social networking site, is expected to announce an advertising policy soon that will deliver ads based on user information like college, friends, marital status and hobbies. The ad network 24/7 Real Media has been experimenting with linking offline ad databases to people’s computer addresses, though the company says it is not actually provided the names or addresses of people. Acxiom, a direct mail database company, said recently that it had begun selling such data to online companies.
Consumer groups seeking a do-not-track rule have a long wish list. They want disclosure notices saying that online ads resulted from behavioral tracking. They also want consumers to be able to view and edit the profiles the ad networks are building. Eileen Harrington, deputy director of the F.T.C.’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said yesterday that “providing a consumer with advertising that matches their interests is something that provides a lot of value to consumers.” But, she added, “there are questions about whether it may also come with costs that consumers don’t want to pay.”
How do you feel about having your online activities tracked so that you can be shown relevant advertising?
The Federal Trade Commission will hold meetings today and tomorrow about online privacy. The questions they will entertain include how much control people need or want over the vast trove of information that corporate America routinely collects about people as they click from site to site on the Internet.
In advance of the F.T.C. meetings, a coalition of consumer groups called yesterday for a do-not-track list that would permit people to opt out of so-called behavioral tracking programs, which use data about a consumer’s Web travels to deliver relevant ads. Separately, the AOL division of Time Warner announced that it would enhance its system that lets people remove themselves from tracking databases. Opting out does not reduce the number of ads; instead people would receive generic ones.
Most Web tracking is done anonymously, and marketing firms are typically aware only of the sites someone has visited, not their name or address. But as Web tracking technology grows more sophisticated, experts on digital privacy say it is inevitable that marketers will know not only which sites somebody has visited, but also who is doing the Web surfing.
The developments raise new questions for consumers. Do people care if advertisers follow their digital footsteps as much they care, say, about telemarketers calling them during dinner? Will public anxiety mount as customized marketing makes its way to cellphone and television screens?
With the advertising industry increasingly placing its hopes — and money — in the behavioral field, privacy advocates argue that the government needs to establish guidelines for digital privacy now. “It’s a digital data vacuum cleaner on steroids, that’s what the online ad industry has created,” said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “They’re tracking where your mouse is on the page, what you put in your shopping cart, what you don’t buy. A very sophisticated commercial surveillance system has been put in place.”
Internet advertising is just the latest flashpoint in the privacy debate. It has been eight years since the F.T.C. has held a public workshop on the use of consumer data in online ads, and a lot of the hypothetical situations described then are now a widespread reality.
Many executives in the advertising industry do not see anything wrong with online targeting. They argue that the practice benefits consumers, who see more relevant ads. And they contend that for consumers, relinquishing some innocuous personal data is a small trade-off for free access to the rich content of the Internet, much of which is ad-supported.
“Why should the direct mail firms be able to target like that, and we’re not? All because it’s electronic?” said David J. Moore, chief executive of 24/7 Real Media, which is owned by the advertising conglomerate the WPP Group. “Ultimately, if you want the content to remain free on the Web, you need to at least give us the information to monetize it.”
But there is growing concern, even among online companies, about what information is being used to deliver ads to people.
“The market is getting edgier and edgier, and what is accepted in the marketplace gets dodgier and dodgier,” said Martin E. Abrams, the executive director of the Center for Information Policy Leadership at the law firm Hunton & Williams, a research organization financed by companies like Google, Microsoft and Best Buy. “We have really moved to a world where we say consumers need to police the market, and, increasingly, it is a harder world to police.”
Some observers say that many people do not really mind the targeting. Recent privacy surveys have found that younger people do not care as much about privacy as their parents do, but privacy groups say that is because people do not understand how much information is gathered.
“If people were shown all the stuff that’s been collected, I think they would be more appalled,” said Richard M. Smith, an Internet consultant who will speak on the F.T.C.’s opening panel.
Ian Ayres, a professor at Yale Law School who has written a book about data mining, said, “If a computer is scanning my X-ray at an airport, I feel differently than if a human undresses me.”
Mr. Ayres cautioned that online data could be taken too far; companies could use it to discriminate against customers or charge wealthier ones higher prices. And because the Web is less transparent than a shopping mall, those actions might go undetected.
Behavioral targeting is not the only kind used online. Some companies scan e-mail messages and search queries to figure out which ads might be relevant to people.
Facebook, the social networking site, is expected to announce an advertising policy soon that will deliver ads based on user information like college, friends, marital status and hobbies. The ad network 24/7 Real Media has been experimenting with linking offline ad databases to people’s computer addresses, though the company says it is not actually provided the names or addresses of people. Acxiom, a direct mail database company, said recently that it had begun selling such data to online companies.
Consumer groups seeking a do-not-track rule have a long wish list. They want disclosure notices saying that online ads resulted from behavioral tracking. They also want consumers to be able to view and edit the profiles the ad networks are building. Eileen Harrington, deputy director of the F.T.C.’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said yesterday that “providing a consumer with advertising that matches their interests is something that provides a lot of value to consumers.” But, she added, “there are questions about whether it may also come with costs that consumers don’t want to pay.”
Quotation of the Day
"They’re tracking where your mouse is on the page, what you put in your shopping cart, what you don’t buy."
JEFF CHESTER, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, on information collected when people use the Internet.
JEFF CHESTER, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, on information collected when people use the Internet.
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