The set of guidelines about user-generated content produced by industry body, the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA), aims to help broadcasters get the most out of working with the audience.

The guidelines, available as a PDF, cover familiar ground on concerns about quality of the content and potential legal issues. It acknowledges that:

The most apparent benefit for broadcasters of using UGC is that it provides free access to material which they might not otherwise obtain. The most obvious examples are footage of breaking news stories. Recent high profile examples include the post election riots in Iran and the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

But the guidelines also seek to broaden the way journalists think about UGC, and suggests that it is a way of promoting greater media democracy:

While encouraging ‘better quality’ UGC (however that may be defined) might appear a worthwhile aim, pursuing this goal alone could serve only to further amplify the voices of the better resourced members of the audience and further marginalise the poor and disempowered. The aim of these guidelines, therefore, is to provide guidance on how to encourage a greater diversity of material from a wider range of voices: material that serves both the public and commercial needs of broadcasters and the viewing and democratic needs of the widest possible audience.

The advice focuses not just on how to handle UGC, but also on the issue of media and information literacy. It argues that news organisations would benefit from promoting greater media literacy, by strengthening relationships with audiences and countering claims that UGC is just a way of getting free content.

This is an important part of the equation that is often ignored in the discussion of UGC. The people formerly known as the audience have the tools to report on events around them, but the media can play a part in helping people understand how to “seek, use and create media content”.

UNESCO defines media literacy as the ability to “interpret and make informed judgments as users of information and media, as well as to become skilful creators and producers of information and media messages in their own right”.

Journalism is considered as vital to a functioning democracy, by providing citizens with the news and information they need to make informed decisions. In a participatory media ecosystem, part of this role is providing citizens with the skills and competences to evaluate and create media.

Former Taiwan NT assistant coach and Sacramento Kings assistant director of scouting Jack Mai has been banned by the NBA for betting money on league games, including those involving the Kings, Yahoo! Sports reported.

Jack Mai coached Luckipar Panthers in 1995-96 and registered 12 wins and 18 losses in 30 games in the Chinese Basketball Alliance, a Taiwanese pro league folded in 2000 after five seasons.

He worked as Panthers’ general manager after that until the CBA went out of business.

Mai assisted late Yulon head coach Chien Yi-fei and led Taiwan NT to a silver medal finish in the 2001 East Asian Games in Osaka, Japan.

He was instrumental in landing Chen Hsin-an an opportunity to try out for the Kings in 2002. Chen was cut after appearing in two preseason games and did not make the opening day roster, however.

He also brought Tien Lei to play for the Kings in the Southern California Summer Pro League a few years later.

Ex-assistant scouting director gambled with Kings

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Sacramento Kings say they’ve been informed by the NBA that a former employee gambled while on their staff.

Jack Mai, the team’s former assistant director of scouting, was found to have gambled while with the Kings, who fired him in January. Last season was his eighth with the franchise and third as assistant director of scouting.

The Kings’ release says the "investigation revealed that Mr. Mai participated in improper wagering activities while a member of this organization." The Kings say Mai has been disqualified from further association with the NBA and its teams.

The league has taken gambling especially seriously since former referee Tim Donaghy admitted taking thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for inside tips, including games he worked.

NBA bans Kings scout for gambling on team
Adrian Wojnarowski

The NBA has banned former Sacramento Kings assistant director of scouting Jack Mai for betting money on league games, including those involving the Kings, Yahoo! Sports has learned.

The league informed teams in a memo on Wednesday afternoon that an investigation revealed Mai bet on NBA games “limited to small amounts of money among acquaintances and there is no evidence that he ever attempted to use his position with the Kings to influence the outcome of any NBA game.”

Mai bet on the Kings’ games for years, “some for, and some against,” a league source told Yahoo! Sports.

When reached by phone on Wednesday afternoon, Mai said only, “I resigned,” and declined further comment.

The NBA told teams they can never employ, nor use Mai in a consultant’s capacity. League rules forbid employees from betting on any NBA games, especially those involving their own teams.

“We take this matter very seriously, and we fully cooperated with the NBA’s investigation,” the Kings said in a statement.

Business partners of Mai tipped the NBA to his betting, a league source told Yahoo! Sports. After eight years with the organization, the Kings fired Mai early in 2009. Besides the gambling investigation, one league source said Mai had “questionable business dealings with Korean and Chinese basketball teams and leagues.”

“He was using his position with the Kings to make business deals for players, equipment, etc., and appearances by NBA players in Asia for money,” the source said.

Donaghy tried to peddle a tell-all book that would’ve alleged further impropriety among officials and the league, but the publisher said the threat of potential liability ultimately killed the book’s release.

Scouting assistant Mai gambled
Associted Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings said Wednesday they were informed by the NBA that a former employee gambled while on their staff.

Jack Mai, the team’s former assistant director of scouting, was found to have gambled while with the Kings, who fired him in January. Last season was his eighth with the franchise and third as assistant director of scouting.

Kings owner Joe Maloof said the team fired Mai as soon as it found out through general manager Geoff Petrie that Mai had been wagering.

"I wasn’t aware that he was betting. But the minute we found out he was doing something wrong we had to let him go," Maloof said. "People should know that you are not allowed to bet on NBA games. It’s against the bylaws, it’s against the rules."

The Kings’ release said the "investigation revealed that Mr. Mai participated in improper wagering activities while a member of this organization." The Kings said Mai had been disqualified from further association with the NBA and its teams.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed Mai’s disqualification and said reinstatement was not possible, but said the league would have no other comment.

The league has taken gambling especially seriously since former referee Tim Donaghy admitted taking thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for inside tips, including games he worked.

This article originally appeared on Match Fit USA this morning.  Occasionally I will be doing features for Jason, but they will also be posted here later on the day of publication.

On Tuesday there was a lot of noise about how MLS is mistreating its players by denying them the basic rights of athletes.  While the criticism is warranted, the reactionary statements are starting to get out of hand.  What everyone’s forgetting is that MLS isn’t in as good of shape as Don Garber would have us believe.  Some teams in MLS have yet to reach the break-even point financially.  Four teams have yet to sign a jersey sponsor.  The league’s flagship franchise (historically), DC United, still pays rent on a stadium where they are the only reason it isn’t being torn down and can’t get the local government to agree to a new stadium plan.

Soccer, whether we want to admit it or not, is still very much a fringe sport in America.  Sure, it’s on the cusp of exploding, but it hasn’t happened yet.  Rather than storming the gates of Garber’s office demanding broad sweeping change, the union needs to take a step back and realize that baby steps are the only way.

The big sticking points in the discussion are free agency, guaranteed contracts, option years, and transfer fee sharing.  MLS is set against making any major changes to any of these topics.  For the time being, they are right in doing so, to a certain extent.  There is a middle ground.

The easiest change to make is with the sharing of transfer fees.  It has been reported that MLS keeps 10 percent of a player’s share of a transfer fee.  That has to stop immediately.  Simply put, it is stealing.  No other business would get away with it, so MLS shouldn’t.  The league already gets a large portion of the transfer fee.  If they are dead set on taking a bigger cut, take it from the team’s cut.  The owners still get the money either way.

Guaranteed contracts are also a relatively simple fix.  Before looking at the solution, we must look at the reasoning.  The players have guaranteed contracts usually deserve them.  They’ve performed well enough to deserve better treatment.  Some of the other players, players described as being treated as second-class citizens, quite frankly, are second-class (or even third) in MLS.  Rightly or wrongly, some players just plain suck.  They don’t deserve a place on an MLS roster.  A guaranteed contract puts a financially shaky team like Kansas City in a worse position of having to pay a player they are using.

The solution to guaranteed contracts is simple: don’t give every player a full-season contract.  If FIFA regulations require that contracts can only be terminated at the end of contract’s length, give fringe players shortened contracts.  The NBA, the king of guaranteed contracts in sports, does this with developmental players from the NBDL.  If a player isn’t a regular starter, give him until “X” amount of games and renegotiate after that point.  Find a middle ground and when things get better in a few years, renegotiate a better situation.

The idea of option years dovetails out of the guaranteed contract situation.  As it stands now, the majority of option clauses in MLS are in favor of the league.  As far as I know, only David Beckham has a true option clause, but even his clause (to my knowledge) involves a buyout.  The most prominent player affected by the option situation is Landon Donovan.  Donovan wants to make a move to Europe.  Technically, his contract is up; however, MLS holds an option for one more season.  Essentially, Donovan is stuck unless a club is willing to pony up the minimum $10 million (rumored MLS asking price) for a transfer.  Life isn’t fair, but contracts should be.  Situations like Donovan’s shouldn’t happen.  MLS can fix this. 

One way would be to allow players to make a move to a different league instead of accepting an option decision.  If the player wants to move to a different MLS team, the two teams need to work out some sort of deal.  While that isn’t an ideal solution, it is a step in the right direction.  Team options appear in other sports, so getting rid of them entirely is impossible.  Another option is to create more player options.  After all, fairness has to go both ways.

Far and away the biggest sticking point and the major battle in the collective bargaining process is free agency.  It needs to happen.  More than likely, it won’t.  Some have said free agency destroys the single-entity concept of MLS.  For the most part, that is true.  If that happens, it destroys the very thing that makes MLS a viable business right now.  As a solution, I propose a modified form a free agency along the lines of the NFL and MLB’s compensation system. 

At the end of a contract, players can negotiate with any team.  If the player and his new team agree to terms, the new team must pay a minor compensatory fee (or an equivalent draft pick) to the player’s old team.  This would only apply to players who have started a minimum number of games or played a minimum number of minutes.  Fringe players would be free to move from team to team as true free agents.  These are the players that are routinely cut at the end of the season anyway.  In the event that the player leaves MLS in the offseason, the old MLS team loses all rights to the player.  If the player leaves in the middle of the season, player rights are retained for the remainder of the current season.

All of these solutions to MLS’ contract issues are just ideas.  The overall idea I want to convey is that simply handing over concepts like free agency and guaranteed contracts as other American professional leagues would be suicide for MLS.  The financial system in MLS works.  The league exists because of it.  Still, improvements can be made.  The goals of the players and fans can be achieved.  It’s just going to take time.  It took the NFL decades to establish itself as America’s sport.  Why should soccer be any different?

Straight from the pages of Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide comes our 2010 entry. A lot of people know that I conduct word-of-mouth publicity campaigns, but not as many know that my roots are in freelance editing services. Jasmin and I still offer these services – well, these days it’s mostly Jasmin offering these services. (Which is good news for you – Jasmin’s better than me anyway!) We edit in ABA and CBA markets, fiction and non; emerging lit to Pentecostal/charismatic and everything in between. If you’d like an estimate for editing your manuscript, drop Jasmin an email or leave a comment below. We’re here for your text support.

Raleigh NC. E-mail: jasminis [at] gmail [dot] com. GE/LC/B/NL/SP/WS. Edits: A/SS/F/N/NB/BP/QL/JN/PB/BS/GB/E/D. Has edited for Christian publishers and mainstream curriculum publishers. Developmental editing: $8/pg.; copy editing $6/pg. Requires 50% of fee upfront. Requested revisions are included in original fee.

In a nutshell, why on earth does this bank spend heaps of money on television advertising that can only be said at best is a bloody embarrassment and an insult to anyones intelligence. It just goes to show that putting up interest rates at the drop of a hat only gives them money to waste on the crap they call advertising.

Pela segunda corrida consecutiva, a direção de prova e os comissários da CBA mostraram como não se deve supervisionar uma prova oficial.

Em Curitiba, a não retirada do carro de Douglas Soares da grama do lado interno da pista quase provocou uma tragédia quando Rafael Iserhard saiu da pista. Desta vez, em Brasília, outra polêmica, agora sem acidentes.

Esse assunto do pit stop do Cacá e dos outros 20 que a Red Bull flagrou para se defender prova que os comissários e a direção de prova deviam estar jogando truco na hora. Como ninguém viu que 20 pilotos cometeram a mesma irregularidade?

Pior: como eles aceitam de cara o recurso de uma equipe, e voltam atrás ao verem que diversas outras pessoas fizeram o mesmo? Preguiça de punir todo mundo? Provavelmente.

E tem mais: viraram para mim e perguntaram como eu publiquei a punição, sendo que o resultado oficial não tinha saído no papel. Carlos Montagner foi à Sala de Imprensa e disse para quem quisesse ouvir. Se eu não acreditar na autoridade máxima daquele local, em quem vou acreditar?

Que isso sirva de aviso para a CBA procurar a nova FIA e pedir ajuda para formar mais oficiais (a tentativa da gestão anterior, no último ano, já deve ter ido para o vinagre), pois esses são os mesmos que estão aí há tempos e já provaram que não servem.

Caso contrário, veremos mais atrocidades dessas. Mais e mais.

Celebrating 100 years of Baldwinsville High School football, the B’ville Bees varsity football team ran over the Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) by a score of 30-12 in the Carrier Dome on the Syracuse University campus to claim the New York State Section III Football Championship.

B'ville (Baldwinsville) Bees Football team celebrates the New York State Section III Championship in the Carrier Dome.

Running behind a dominating offensive line, Malik Burks (1) ran for 243 yards on 43 rushing attempts and scored 3 touchdowns.  The Bees defense shut down the CBA passing attack in the second half who lead at halftime 12-8.  As an alum of Baldwinsville, I was proud of the team and how they came from behind to win.

Click Here for More Photos from the Baldwinsville vs. CBA NYS Section III Championship Game.

Malik Burks (1) is interviewed by local television after being named Most Valuable Player for Baldwinsville. Baldwinsville defeated CBA to claim the New York State Section III High School Football Championship.

Since this game ended, I have found out the Syracuse University Football program is NOT interested in Malik Burks.  Malik is a senior and is being actively recruited by three other Big East football schools.  This astounded me.  The current SU Football coach is on record as saying he would do his best to recruit the most talented New York high school players.  Yet, here’s the number 3 running back in high school football in the entire nation right in SU’s backyard and they are not interested?  If I was the SU coach, I would not only recruit Malik Burks, I would offer to take the number 44 out of retirement to do so.

For Halloween night I went to my brother Ed and SIL Terri’s house to hang out with my nephews.  It’s a gathering for everyone … Terri’s siblings, a cousin, their kids, her parents, my parents … it’s a lot of fun.  Terri’s dad dresses up with a few of the boys every year.  This year they were Our Gang.  I captured some of the fun.    Enjoy!

GingerSnapps

Admit it … the cutest little ghost you’ve ever seen!

Spanky, Alfalfa and Buckwheat (my nephew, Grant):

Chris as a “redneck”.  His idea, and he really got into it.  He insisted on making this face every time we took his picture.  I had the pleasure of giving him the “mom” tattoo!

My adorable nephews …

A random trick-or-treater that I thought was too cute to photograph!

Nie chcemy takiego panstwa. Trzeba powiedziec temu panstwu stop!

POSLKA STRAŻ MIEJSKA

czyli zalążki faszyzmu

Skopiujcie ten link i wklejcie go na wasze strony

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slvutTBwyr4

Jawny złodziejski bandytyzm w bialy dzien __  facet handluje bo niema za co zrec ,przyszlo polskie ZOMO policyjne zabralo gosciowi towar i go pobili.Gosc protestowal w swojej obronie ___ Ale oczywiescie wszytko jest w porzadku w tej zasranej polsce gdzie rzadza elity i organizuja sobie RZOŁNIEZY uzbraja ich w gazy pałki  …. i widac to na ponizszym nagraniu ___ PANSTWO POLICYJNE mysle ze jak by tam nie bylo tych ludz tego tlumu to by tego faceta pobili na smierc ____ jednym slowem USTASZOWO-FASZYSTOFSKA banda … Żałosne jest to ze w polsce jest takich incydentow mase …

by ‘ NEW WORD ORDER

No con la de mi edificio que ni si quiera sé si se puede subir…me refiero a la del Círculo de Bellas Artes y sus vistas impresionantes.

Si tienes pensado pasar por la ciudad en fin de semana DEBES-ESTÁS OBLIGADO a incluir dentro de tu itinerario visitar la séptima planta del CBA incluso tanto como la híper conocida Puerta del Sol. En cambio, si vives aquí y aún no la conoces ¿a qué esperas?.

Dónde: calle Alcalá 42.

Horario: Sábados y Domingos de 11:00 a 14:00 y de 16:00 a 19:30.

Precio: 2€ (incluye acceso a la azotea y a las exposiciones)

Para muestra de lo que os podéis encontrar os dejo con dos imágenes cedidas por “flequillo”

Nie chcemy takiego panstwa. Trzeba powiedziec temu panstwu stop!

POSLKA STRAŻ MIEJSKA

czyli zalążki faszyzmu

Skopiujcie ten link i wklejcie go na wasze strony

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slvutTBwyr4

Jawny złodziejski bandytyzm w bialy dzien __  facet handluje bo niema za co zrec ,przyszlo polskie ZOMO policyjne zabralo gosciowi towar i go pobili.Gosc protestowal w swojej obronie ___ Ale oczywiescie wszytko jest w porzadku w tej zasranej polsce gdzie rzadza elity i organizuja sobie RZOŁNIEZY uzbraja ich w gazy pałki  …. i widac to na ponizszym nagraniu ___ PANSTWO POLICYJNE mysle ze jak by tam nie bylo tych ludz tego tlumu to by tego faceta pobili na smierc ____ jednym slowem USTASZOWO-FASZYSTOFSKA banda … Żałosne jest to ze w polsce jest takich incydentow mase …

by ‘ NEW WORD ORDER

Happy Halloween!

I’ve included the listing of upcoming meetings this week as well as the longer view in this email fyi. I’m hoping you take some time to enjoy the holiday spirit this weekend and get some relaxation prior to the heavy schedule of meetings leading up to the holidays. I’ve included an ecard for you to help get in the mood.

Audrey Erbes (audreyerbes@aol.com) has sent you a Jacquie Lawson electronic greeting card. Please copy the following into the Address or Location bar of your Internet browser. http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1950404155814&source=jl999

Upcoming events this week include:

• Saturday, Oct. 31st–US-Taiwan Biomedical Engineering Forum’s “Engineering Challenges in Biomedical Applications”
• Mondays, Nov. 2nd through Dec. 14th–UCSC Ext. Course–”Design Control for Product Development” with Tom Shoup, Ph.D.
• Tuesday, Nov. 3rd–Bio2Device Group “7 Steps to a Successfual Life Science Startup” with Naeem Zafar, CEO of 3 Silicon Valley startups and Faculty Member at UC Berkeley Haas Business School
• Thursday, Nov. 5th – LES luncheon and “University Technology Transfer – A Comparison of U.S. and European Approaches” with Teri Willey, Chief Executive of Cambridge Enterprise Limited The commercialisation office of the University of Cambridge Katharine Ku, Director of the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL)Stanford University
• Thursday, Nov. 5th – Triple Ring Technologies evening–”The Early History of MRI” with Waldo Hinshaw, Principal Scientist, Triple Ring Thursday, Nov. 5th – NCC ACRP “Careers in Biotechnology 2009″ and holiday party with Toby Freedman, Ph.D.
• Friday, Nov. 6th – FountainBlue Funding Road Show –”Perfecting your Pitch to Investors” with Bill Joos
• Saturdays, Nov. 7th & 14th – UCSC Ext. Course –”Regulation of Biomedical Products Advertising, Promotion and Labeling” with Joyce Chiarenza
• Saturdays, Nov. 7th, 21st and Dec. 5th – UCSC Ext. Course — “Clinical Project Management” with Liz Wool, BSN, CCRA, CMT
• Saturdays, Nov. 7th, 14th and 21st — UCB Ext. Course –”Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Discovery” with Toby Freedman, Ph.D., author of Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development”

Full downloadable list of events through early Dec. 2009 MeetingListOct3009

Be good to yourself and others–”What goes around comes around.”

Audrey

Confira as imagens do acidente de Rafael Iserhard na etapa deste domingo da Pick-up Racing em Curitiba, filmado da arquibancada. Reparem na força do impacto e na reação do público ao ver o carro do gaúcho ir de encontro ao de Douglas Soares, que estava parado. Como já disse, o piloto teve muita, muita sorte.

Foto - Fernanda Freixosa

Foi um grande absurdo o acidente que sofreu Rafael Iserhard na Pick-up Racing, em Curitiba, no último domingo.  Em uma disputa com Thiago Riberi, Iserhard ficou sem pista, foi para a grama e estampou o carro do companheiro Douglas Soares, que estava ali desde… A primeira volta!

Não isento os pilotos de erro. Eles sabem que poderia ter sido evitado, mas é impossível não ficar indignado com a Direção de Prova, da CBA. Se o carro não estivesse ali, dificilmente Iserhard teria parado no hospital, e a M4T não teria quebrado _sim, os dois carros eram da mesma equipe, os mesmos comissários da CBA o consideraram perda total e ninguém deve arcar com os custos do time de Miguel e Marcello Ferreira.

Na corrida da V8, o carro de Felipe Maluhy ficou parado um pouco antes do ponto onde ficou o de Douglas, e o de Tarso Marques, pior, ficou em plena reta dos boxes, encostado na mureta da parte interna. E isso é um absurdo.

Todos estão chamando Riberi de assassino, o que é uma injustiça. Lembro que, anos atrás, na corrida que dava acesso ao playoff de 2007, Hoover Orsi deu uma fechada do mesmo tipo em Ingo Hoffmann, e nada aconteceu _em parte, pelo piloto que foi fechado ter sido o mestre Ingo. Assassino não é o Riberi, mas quem deixou aquele carro ali.

Que todos aprendam. Pilotos, comissários, equipes. Pois, por muito, muito pouco, não revivemos aquele fim de semana de dezembro de 2007.

Przyznaję, że zadziwia mnie (niekoniecznie w pozytywnym tego słowa znaczeniu) konsekwencja, z jaką PiS-owcy idą w zaparte i uzasadniają horrendalne bzdury, które akurat są korzystne dla ich światopoglądu. Często przy użyciu jeszcze większej bzdury. Niemniej to, na co trafilem dzisiaj, lekko mnie przeraziło, bowiem wniosek, jaki się wyłania z owego kretynizmu, mógłby trochę zachwiać państwem, gdyby dało się go uogólnić.
Od paru tygodni PiS stara się przeprowadzić zamach stanu przy użyciu CBA i Mariusza Kamińskiego. Członkowie rządzącej PO oskarżani są o udział w różnych aferach korupcyjnych, które to “afery” mają w zamierzeniu położyć rząd Tuska na łopatki, jednak kto pod kim dołki kopie… W tej chwili “na świeczniku” jest, oprócz “hazardowej”, “afera stoczniowa”. Powiązana z prywatyzacją Stoczni Gdańskiej i tzw. “katarskim inwestorem”.
Coś tam niby było. Niby. Kamiński kiedyś na konferencji prasowej twierdził, że rząd w sprawie Stoczni nie nakazywał mu działań. Pojawiły się dokumenty, że jednak tak. Uwaga, niektóre sporządzone przez szefa CBA. Na to Kaczyński wyskakuje z idiotycznym tekstem, że te dokumenty są antydatowane. Wyśmiano go. Teraz CBA skarży do sądu Tuska i jego polecenie ochrony Stoczni “tarczą antykorupcyjną”. Powód? Brak instrukcji. Funkcjonariusze dostali samo tylko polecenie działania. Bez wytycznych, planów, harmonogramów działań. STRASZNE.
W tym momencie pojawia się ów straszny wniosek. Jaki? Ano wychodzi, że Centralne Biuro Antykorupcyjne i jego funkcjonariusze muszą być prowadzeni za rączkę, bo najwidoczniej wszyscy analitycy i decydenci pojechali na wakacje i zabrali ze sobą listy procedur operacyjnych. Stąd ci “najlepsi z najlepszych” agenci są bezradni i nie wiedzą, jak mają coś zrobić. CBA się coś udaje głównie wtedy, kiedy zasadzkę robią i sami wręczają łapówkę, ale w innych przypadkach jak dzieci we mgle, kompletna niemoc. Rozumiem, że za PiS-u szły wyraźne polecenia, kogo, jak i za co, stąd Biuro bez wytycznych z góry straciło orientację, ale na litość! Toż to jest kpina z rzetelności i fachowości tej instytucji! Której autorem jest, żeby było śmieszniej, ona sama.
Wiecie co? Następnym razem, kiedy zadzwonię na Policję i zgłoszę np. włamanie, spytam, czy mam dodatkowo wyjaśnić funkcjonariuszowi JAK KROWIE NA ROWIE, co, kiedy i jak ma zrobić, bo najwidoczniej taka jest potrzeba. Inaczej bowiem biedak może nie wiedzieć, jak się ma zachować, a idąc za przykładem Kamińskiego, oskarży mnie o swoją indolencję. Strach się bać. Ba, strach cokolwiek zgłaszać.
Tą skargą służby się po prostu ośmieszają, tak jak kuriozalnym wręcz zarzutem, że premier NIE wtrąca się w działania operacyjne służb i NIE nakazuje im określonych czynności. Może jestem jakiś zwichrowany, ale uważam, że w demokratycznym państwie tak właśnie powinno być, że szef rządu NIE ingeruje w prace służb ani sposób ich działania. Które to metody opracowywane są przez ekspertów np. z ABW, AW czy Policji, z prostej przyczyny. Bo się znają na działaniach operacyjnych o niebo lepiej niż premier, co też jest oczywiste. O ile bowiem się orientuję, ani Tusk, ani Kaczyński, ani żaden inny szef rządu RP, nie spędził nawet jednego dnia, pracując w służbach mundurowych.
A najlepszy dowcip jest taki, że jakby szczegółowe instrukcje były, to pewnie zaraz PiS podniósłby larum, że Tusk steruje służbami specjalnymi. Jakby CBA nie węszyło za Lepperem czy Sawicką na polecenie Kaczyńskiego. Śmiech na sali.

In the news . . .

Musicians use Freedom of Information Act to find out how the government is using their music.

The continued battle over net neutrality.

New music service being launched by Google, iLike and Lala partnership.

Big Brother winner Adam Jasinski uses prize money to buy and sell oxycodone pills.

ESPN analyst Steve Phillips fired for sex scandal after stalker, Brooke Hundley, harrassed family and even sixteen-year-old son by posing as classmate on Facebook.

Rapper Nas owes IRS $2.5 million in back taxes. Meanwhile, Lil Wayne to serve jail time for gun charge.

Access to federal court documents through PACER program hacked by Firefox plug-in.

Nashville police releases text messages between Steve McNair and Sahel Kazemi.

New York Mets ownership allegedly wrapped up in Bernie Madoff scandal to tune of $48 million.

NBA referee lockout ends with new collective bargaining agreement.

New Jersey Nets basketball team launches plan to rent out players for $25,000/hour.

Kiedyś każdy młody chłopiec pragnął zostać Supermanem. Niepozornym, zamkniętm w sobie dziennikarzyną w okularach, który gdy nadchodzi potrzeba – zdejmuje marynarkę i dostaje skrzydeł. I pomimo faktu, że superbohaterowie byli towarem głównie amerykańskim, my – Polacy doczekaliśmy się w końcu własnego.

Agent Tomek jest piękny. Zna się na kobietach, zna się na perfumach i pieniądzach. Czegóż chcieć więcej? Otóż jest czego. Wierności.. Po gorącym romansie z posłanką Sawicką, którą wielokrotnie muskał obliczem po włosach oraz zasmakował jej ust, Agent Tomek zaproponował ustawienie przetargu. Zakochana, czująca podniecenie młodzieńca posłanka powiedziała “tak”. Otrzymawszy 50 tysięcy złotych została poproszona o rękę. I ona dała ową rękę. I drugą. I obie zostały zakute w kajdanki, a nadobna Beata stanęła przed sądem. Niedługo potem wylała morze łez przed kamerami z błaganiem o litość. Biedna, zdradzona kobieta straciła wszystko. Dobre imię, posadę w największej partii w Polsce oraz zaufanie kolegów. Zyskała złamane serce i jedną reklamówkę, z której wyjęli “pierwszą ratę”.

Niewiernego Tomasza już wtedy nie było. Odszedł rozpływając się we mgle. Nie pomógł Sawickiej, ale pomógł uzmysłowić Polakom jak wielkim uczuciem jest miłość dojrzałej kobiety do atrakcyjnego podlotka, lub jak wielka jest miłość dojrzałej kobiety do pieniędzy.

Niedługo po tym dramacie rozegrał się następny. Tym razem ofiarą Agenta Tomka została piękna kobieta sukcesu, stosunkowo młoda i dynamiczna Weronika Pazura. Nie była tak naiwna jak czterdziestopięcioletnia pani polityk, ale równie chciwa. Z tą różnicą, że o pocałunkach, muskaniu złotych pukli czy pikantnych smsach nie było mowy. Pazura jest asertywną kobietą. Wie czego chce i nie w głowie jej miłostki. Do Agenta Tomka zbliżyła się – jak sama zresztą powiedziała – emocjonalnie. Wspólne rozmowy o trudnym dzieciństwie, podobny światopogląd, spostrzeżenia na temat życia i śmierci i poranna jajecznica. I 100 tysięcy za pomoc w sprywatyzowaniu wydawnictwa. No a później standardowo – ręka, druga, kominiarka i areszt. Kaucja wyniosła z kolei ponad 600 tysięcy czyli Weronika Pazura nie zrobiła na znajomości z Agentem Tomkiem interesu życia. Tylko, że była żona kabareciarza po wyjściu na wolność kabaretu nie odstawiła. Nie opłakiwała złamanego serca – wręcz przeciwnie. W niedzielnym programie Sekielskiego i Mrozowskiego genialnie odwróciła role. Weronikę stać na speców od wizerunku i dzięki temu telewidzowie mogą się podzielić na zwolenników młodej rozwódki skrzywdzonej przez Don Juana oraz przeciwników interesownej, niemoralnej ex striptizerki.

Agent Tomek jako nasz własny, polski Superman spisał się doskonale, a sprawiedliwości stało się zadość. Powoli staje się nawet ikoną popkultury. Strony internetowe, fikcyjny profil na portalu Nasza-Klasa, koszulki z nadrukiem, opisy na gadu gadu i artykuły w prasie. Polacy kochają herosów, a kiedy herosi są piękni i perfidni – kocha ich każdy.

Eléggé furcsa dolog történt az elmúlt vasárnapon. A nagymamája leküldte egy csomag lisztért a CBA Kiscelli utcai boltjába, mivel az van a legközelebb. Kapott erre a nemes feladatra 200 ft.-ot, és elindult a kereskedelmi egység felé. A lisztek között egyetlen egy féle volt, ami eme kitűzött összegből kifért, ezért azt megfogta, és elindult vele a pénztárhoz. Kifizette, majd mint aki jól végezte dolgát, kisétált az üzletből. Hazament, majd leült a számítógép elé. Nem is törődött a dologgal, majd mikor a nagymama közölte, hogy ez a liszt nem jó, ez kenyérliszt, menjek vissza, cseréljem ki. Mondtam, hogy jó majd megyek és kicserélem, és visszafordult a monitor felé. Majd addig piszkálták a dologgal, hogy visszament a bótba. Igen ám, csak hogy a pénztárostól nem kapott blokkot (ennek még hamarosan jelentősége lesz), az előtte vásárlónak is elfelejtette visszaadni a bankkártyáját… -.-’

Szóval visszament, és hát megfogott egy megfelelő lisztet, amire pénzt is kapott, és visszament ahhoz a pénztárhoz, ahol az előző terméket. Mikor ő került sorra, elmondta gondját, hogy hát rossz lisztet vitt, és hogy egy órája itt vásárolt, és hogy hát lehetne-e, hogy a rossz lisztet visszavegyék, és hogy helyette megvenném a jót.
Erre a hölgy kérdezi, hogy:
-Hol a blokk?
-Azt nem kaptam. – mondtam.
-Kinél vásárolt?
-Magánál.
-Az lehetetlen. Én mindig adok blokkot.
-Igen? És azt mivel magyarázza, hogy amikor egy órával ezelőtt amikor itt vásároltam az előttem vásárló hölgynek elfelejtette visszaadni a bankkártyáját? Mert ha a hölgy nem jön vissza a pulttól, hogy nem maradt-e itt a bankkártyája, akkor maga csak elteszi?
-Nem hát akkor itt maradt volna, és ha a hölgy visszajön odaadjuk neki. Különben is, én nem emlékszem magára, akkor mivel bizonyítja, hogy ezt itt vásárolta?
-Hát egyrészt mert a maguk címkéje van a terméken. Másrészt pedig mivel magának is marad egy tekercs a blokkokból, ezért nyugodtan megnézheti, hogy 11:00 és 11:05 között egy olyan blokk van, ami előtt 11.060.- értékben vásároltak, és az utána következő vásárlásnál összesen egy darab, 199.-os terméket vásároltak.
-Hát de…
-Valamint ha nem hajlandó kicserélni a terméket, akkor kérném szépen a panaszkönyvet.
Itt jön a hatalmas fordulat.
-Persze, természetesen kicseréljük. Jóóózsi… – szólt hátra egy munkatársnak. – És mire szeretné kicserélni?
-Hát erre. – Mutatom neki az odavitt finomlisztet.
-Akkor menjen oda, és hozzon belőle egyet. (Istenem, az emberek tényleg ennyire együgyűek???)
-Itt van, már idehoztam. – mondom, miközben nézek rá értetlenül.
-De hát ez 230 ft.! Akkor különbözetet kell fizetni! – (Te Jézusooom)
-Azt egyből gondoltam…
-Akkor az 30 ft lesz.
-Köszönöm. (Hogy ez a röpke művelet vasárnap délután 20 percig tartott….)
Jövök el a pénztártól, és még azért hősünk eldörmögi az orra alatt.
-Most mondd meg Marikám, ilyenekkel zargatnak vasárnap délután, zárás előtt…
Na most azért álljon már meg a gyászmenet. Azért mert a zárás előtt vagyunk, ráadásul vasárnap, az nem azt jelenti, hogy akkor nem kell olyan komolyan venni a munkát! Mi lenne mondjuk, hogyha egy buszvezető nem állna meg pár megállóban, mert neki az az utolsó fordulója vasárnap? Szerintetek hősünk elsőként háborodna fel?

So, first off. Hahahahahahaha to the BNP! About bloody time they got brought up to current political correctness like the rest of us. At the same time though, hopefully no non-whites will want to join the BNP! And, if they do, I have a horrible feeling that the number of unexplained disappearances/murders of members of the BNP will rise :/

I got a message from Mad’s brother today, Mad asked for his new prison address to be sent on to me and ‘would like to hear from’ me, so I’ve just sent a third letter. Don’t know whether or not he got the last one but he was only moved last week so it should have got there before he went. He’s due out in 6 days! I’m really quite happy about that, it’ll be good just to know he’s out of four walls again. I do hope that his time in there will have gotten his ex out of his mind, but I suppose I have to try not to get my hopes up.

I feel weird today, kinda happy, kinda sad. It shocked me a bit this morning to see part of a picture of Manshape and I on his dA page. I wasn’t expecting that. (And I think my leg looks a little weird in it.) I also got a bit upset that his current ava is a picture that he took for me and I thought that no one else was ever going to see it. It’s a good picture, but it’s still that selfishness that remains after a relationship of wanting to keep the things you thought would be between the two of you just between the two of you. Some things aren’t for the rest of the world…

The Cure – Maybe Someday

I sometimes forget how much I love Robert Smith’s voice. I get lost in it every time.

EDIT: Oh, also, today I joined the Council for British Archaeologists! I feel like a real archaeologist now, so excited to get my welcome pack!

Update 10/15/2009 5:45pm: Adding sound, I agree, is a good idea. I’ll work on that. Let me know if the presentation seems to brief, if there are other things you’d like covered…seriously, any feedback is welcome. Posting in the comments is probably easiest, though you can certainly post feedback on Twitter (#osprimer) and my handle is @eonwriter5

When I started this post, I started with the 4 “pieces” of open source:

1. Computer Software
2. Source Code
3. Freely Available
4. To Alter and Change

And then asked: what is “open source,” exactly?

I could go through a lengthy explanation, full of stuff you’ve probably read somewhere before but didn’t know it at the time. I very well might do that at some point, but it seems prudent to first present to you the Open Source Primer I walked members of the Chicago Bar Association Law Practice Management & Technology Group through. And yes, I am aware it is in PPT format and not ODP format. I actually created it in ODP, but liked the PPT template better.

Feel free to leave comments. First time I actually gave this presentation to an audience of lawyers, so feedback is welcome and encouraged.

Hopefully this works so here it goes…

Report: 2008 Australian Major Bank Analysis PWC May 2008

A brief but very good overview of the business activities of the 5 major banks in Australia; ANZ, CBA, St George, NAB and Westpac.