From Ed Cone:
----------------
Yes! Weekly's endorsement issue does not endorse a presidential candidate. I received an anonymous email saying the presidential endorsement was spiked by publisher Charles Womack, allegedly because he is a McCain supporter and did not want his paper to endorse Obama. A subsequent, not-for-attribution interview with another source close to the weekly paper said the same thing.
I called Womack, who said he had "no comment." I asked him again if he had ordered the endorsement spiked, and if so, if that was because he supports McCain. Again, "no comment."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
City Manager Mitch Johnson, liar or incompetent?
The Troublemaker looks at time line and documented record to expose more inconsistencies with Greensboro City Manager Mitch Johnson's statements about former Police Chief David Wray.
If Wray and Brady did attempt to hide the black book, they did a really shitty job at doing it. Members of City Legal as well as the City Manager knew of the existence of the black book as early as September 20, 2005. However, they claimed Wray tried to hide the book’s existence from them despite having in their possession a memo that described it perfectly.
On January 11, 2006 the News and Record published at story titled, “Official: Wray hid 'black book.'” The story claimed “…… Wray misled city leaders when he covered up the actions of a "secret police" unit that targeted black officers for unfair internal investigation, Greensboro officials said. Part of the cover-up included the hiding of a "black book" that contained photos of at least 19 African American officers, officials said late Tuesday.”
More reason for the News & Record to correct the record.
The Troublemaker also calls city leaders on their deception, including video of Mayor Yvonne Johnson expressing a gross misunderstanding of the nature of the "back book" and its handling.
The only evidence that is ample is that Greensboro's leaders seriously mislead the public they are sworn to serve.
If Wray and Brady did attempt to hide the black book, they did a really shitty job at doing it. Members of City Legal as well as the City Manager knew of the existence of the black book as early as September 20, 2005. However, they claimed Wray tried to hide the book’s existence from them despite having in their possession a memo that described it perfectly.
On January 11, 2006 the News and Record published at story titled, “Official: Wray hid 'black book.'” The story claimed “…… Wray misled city leaders when he covered up the actions of a "secret police" unit that targeted black officers for unfair internal investigation, Greensboro officials said. Part of the cover-up included the hiding of a "black book" that contained photos of at least 19 African American officers, officials said late Tuesday.”
More reason for the News & Record to correct the record.
The Troublemaker also calls city leaders on their deception, including video of Mayor Yvonne Johnson expressing a gross misunderstanding of the nature of the "back book" and its handling.
The only evidence that is ample is that Greensboro's leaders seriously mislead the public they are sworn to serve.
My brother, product of Greensboro, to make "faux" conducting debut
My brother Paul, whose musical abilities were first nurtured in the Guilford County Public Schools and the Eastern Music Festival, will debut a live performance of his all-digital Fauxharmonic Orchestra with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra.
From the Baltimore Sun (you may recognize Paul's "baton" as a Wii controller in the pic):
The Baltimore Chamber Orchestra's next program will let audiences hear the premiere of a new work for strings performed both by live musicians and a digitally created ensemble. The wryly named Fauxharmonic Orchestra uses digital versions of musical notes to replicate conventional instruments, a technology that may have applications in the future for bringing nearly real orchestral music to out-of-the-way places.
"It's not a question of 'Can you tell the difference, and what do you like better?' We'd win that," says the BCO's music director Markand Thakar. "People like human beings better. At least we hope so."
Paul Henry Smith, the Boston-based creator and "conductor" of the Fauxharmonic Orchestra, says that "the goal is not to fool anyone, but to see what sort of musical experience can emerge."
[more]
Listen to the Fauxharmonic Orchestra here.
.
From the Baltimore Sun (you may recognize Paul's "baton" as a Wii controller in the pic):
The Baltimore Chamber Orchestra's next program will let audiences hear the premiere of a new work for strings performed both by live musicians and a digitally created ensemble. The wryly named Fauxharmonic Orchestra uses digital versions of musical notes to replicate conventional instruments, a technology that may have applications in the future for bringing nearly real orchestral music to out-of-the-way places.
"It's not a question of 'Can you tell the difference, and what do you like better?' We'd win that," says the BCO's music director Markand Thakar. "People like human beings better. At least we hope so."
Paul Henry Smith, the Boston-based creator and "conductor" of the Fauxharmonic Orchestra, says that "the goal is not to fool anyone, but to see what sort of musical experience can emerge."
[more]
Listen to the Fauxharmonic Orchestra here.
.
Friday, October 24, 2008
WFMY, News & Record, it is time to correct the record
Frank Mickens, WFMY, January 27, 2006: "Interim Chief: No Evidence Supporting Validity Of 'Black Book'"
Although a crappy web site keeps me from linking to similar News & Record articles, anybody paying attention will acknowledge that the narrative told by local media about the events surrounding stripping former Greensboro Police Chief David Wray of his authority and his subsequent resignation included as a central theme the existence of a "black book" -- a photo line up book illegitimately used to "target" black police officers.
It is time for local media to correct the record; to report with just as much attention as they originally did when painting the "black book" as an indictment of Wray that Greensboro City Manager Mitch Johnson has now acknowledged, in a sworn affidavit, that the "black book" was a legitimate investigative tool and that there is no indication that it was used for any other illicit purpose.
Jerry Bledsoe in this week's installment of his Rhinoceros Times series "Cops in Black and White" explains:
Earlier this year, Greensboro lawyer Samuel Spagnola and Roch Smith Jr., proprietor of the internet site We 101, filed suit against the city seeking public records about the police and the Project Homestead scandal of 2003. In August, Spagnola submitted to the city his first set of interrogatories as well as a request for admissions of fact. The city completed its responses on Sept. 16.
Number 11 in the request for admissions was this:
"Admit that the 'Black Book' was compiled for the purpose of solving or preventing a possible violation of the law.
"Response: It is admitted that the 'Black Book' requested by the Plaintiffs is a photo array or record compiled for the purpose of solving a violation of the law."
The city denied a request for an admission that there was no other use for the book, saying it was privileged under the law. But in the first set of interrogatories, number 10 is this:
"State whether there are any documents or recordings in the possession of the City that indicate any other use of the 'Black Book' other than to solve or prevent a violation of the law.
"Answer: Based on information and belief, the City of Greensboro is not aware of any documents or recordings in the possession of the City that indicate any other use of the photo array, an original of which is currently in possession of the State Bureau of Investigations, other than to purportedly solve or prevent an alleged violation of the law."
These documents are accompanied by a sworn deposition entitled "Verification," which is signed by Mitch Johnson. It states:
"I am the City Manager for the City of Greensboro, and I am authorized to make this verification on behalf of the City of Greensboro. I have read the foregoing Answers to Plaintiffs' First Set of Interrogatories, and know the contents thereof to be true of my own knowledge, except for those matters and things stated therein upon information and belief, and as to those things, I believe them to be true."
So, how about it News & Record and WFMY? Are you going to inform the public or are you going to consign Greensboro to yet another bit of racially tinged history clouded by innuendo and incomplete reporting of the facts? Will you capitulate to the mendacity and mediocrity that have damned our fair city in the past or will you step up, set the bar higher and do your part to allow Greensboro to move forward with an accurate understanding of its past?
Although a crappy web site keeps me from linking to similar News & Record articles, anybody paying attention will acknowledge that the narrative told by local media about the events surrounding stripping former Greensboro Police Chief David Wray of his authority and his subsequent resignation included as a central theme the existence of a "black book" -- a photo line up book illegitimately used to "target" black police officers.
It is time for local media to correct the record; to report with just as much attention as they originally did when painting the "black book" as an indictment of Wray that Greensboro City Manager Mitch Johnson has now acknowledged, in a sworn affidavit, that the "black book" was a legitimate investigative tool and that there is no indication that it was used for any other illicit purpose.
Jerry Bledsoe in this week's installment of his Rhinoceros Times series "Cops in Black and White" explains:
Earlier this year, Greensboro lawyer Samuel Spagnola and Roch Smith Jr., proprietor of the internet site We 101, filed suit against the city seeking public records about the police and the Project Homestead scandal of 2003. In August, Spagnola submitted to the city his first set of interrogatories as well as a request for admissions of fact. The city completed its responses on Sept. 16.
Number 11 in the request for admissions was this:
"Admit that the 'Black Book' was compiled for the purpose of solving or preventing a possible violation of the law.
"Response: It is admitted that the 'Black Book' requested by the Plaintiffs is a photo array or record compiled for the purpose of solving a violation of the law."
The city denied a request for an admission that there was no other use for the book, saying it was privileged under the law. But in the first set of interrogatories, number 10 is this:
"State whether there are any documents or recordings in the possession of the City that indicate any other use of the 'Black Book' other than to solve or prevent a violation of the law.
"Answer: Based on information and belief, the City of Greensboro is not aware of any documents or recordings in the possession of the City that indicate any other use of the photo array, an original of which is currently in possession of the State Bureau of Investigations, other than to purportedly solve or prevent an alleged violation of the law."
These documents are accompanied by a sworn deposition entitled "Verification," which is signed by Mitch Johnson. It states:
"I am the City Manager for the City of Greensboro, and I am authorized to make this verification on behalf of the City of Greensboro. I have read the foregoing Answers to Plaintiffs' First Set of Interrogatories, and know the contents thereof to be true of my own knowledge, except for those matters and things stated therein upon information and belief, and as to those things, I believe them to be true."
So, how about it News & Record and WFMY? Are you going to inform the public or are you going to consign Greensboro to yet another bit of racially tinged history clouded by innuendo and incomplete reporting of the facts? Will you capitulate to the mendacity and mediocrity that have damned our fair city in the past or will you step up, set the bar higher and do your part to allow Greensboro to move forward with an accurate understanding of its past?
News & Record history online goes "poof"
This morning I was trying to research some of the media coverage of the events surrounding stripping former Greensboro Police Chief David Wray of his authority and his subsequent resignation. I am frustrated and disappointed to find that search result links to News & Record articles lead to page after page of broken links: "Page not found. We're sorry, but the page you've requested does not exist."
This blog post by News & Record editor John Robinson about the N&R's reporting of the Wray affair has seven links to what the editor purports to be relevant News & Record articles. Each one is broken.
The local newspaper should serve as an historical record. It doesn't. It sucks. The whole enterprise should be gutted, torn down and rebuilt from the ground up with the goal of some modicum of competence; or someone should start a new media enterprise to replace the N&R. That could probably be done for a quarter of the rumored sale price of the N&R and without the drain of a legacy culture and financial overhead that weigh like an anchor of perpetual incompetence around the neck of the N&R.
This blog post by News & Record editor John Robinson about the N&R's reporting of the Wray affair has seven links to what the editor purports to be relevant News & Record articles. Each one is broken.
The local newspaper should serve as an historical record. It doesn't. It sucks. The whole enterprise should be gutted, torn down and rebuilt from the ground up with the goal of some modicum of competence; or someone should start a new media enterprise to replace the N&R. That could probably be done for a quarter of the rumored sale price of the N&R and without the drain of a legacy culture and financial overhead that weigh like an anchor of perpetual incompetence around the neck of the N&R.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
My New Obama Sign
After having had two Obama yard signs stolen from our yard in as many days, and after having had an Obama bumper sticker removed from our car, I have made a new Obama yard sign:
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Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Yes, it's a double standard. Calling 'em as I see 'em
News & Record reporter Mark Binker writes on his blog that North Carolina candidate for US Senate Kay Hagan, is a member of Greensboro Country Club and was a member when the club, prior to 1995, excluded blacks as members.
Binker headlines his post with "Is this anything?" Joe Guarino and Tony Wilkins think it's a double standard; that, in the past, revealing membership to clubs that discriminate was considered legitimate reportage of political candidates. Joe and Tony are right, this is a double standard unless and until the media report this and get an explanation from Hagan.
Binker headlines his post with "Is this anything?" Joe Guarino and Tony Wilkins think it's a double standard; that, in the past, revealing membership to clubs that discriminate was considered legitimate reportage of political candidates. Joe and Tony are right, this is a double standard unless and until the media report this and get an explanation from Hagan.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Stifling dissent
Elon College student and Obama supporter Andy Milne was arrested for disturbing the peace at Thursday's Sarah Palin rally after he was accosted while holding up a sign.
A few years ago, a couple was arrested in West Virginia for wearing anti-Bush t-shirts to a Bush rally. They filed suit and, last year, the federal government agreed to settle, paying the couple $80,000.00.
A few years ago, a couple was arrested in West Virginia for wearing anti-Bush t-shirts to a Bush rally. They filed suit and, last year, the federal government agreed to settle, paying the couple $80,000.00.
Letter to the editor writer Larry Surber of Stoneville not up to speed.
Larry Surber of Stoneville had a letter to the editor published in today's News & Record (Greensboro, NC). Wondering where Sarah Palin has been on the Exon Valdez oil spill, he writes:
"But where is the 'populist' Palin? Has she been fighting for 19 years on behalf of the devastated Prince William folks? No, she is donning her old cheerleading outfit and waving pompoms and cheering, 'Drill, Baby, Drill!'"
I don't know that Sarah Palin has been fighting on behalf of the Prince William folks since she was twenty-five years old, nor have I seen her don a cheerleading outfit. She certainly seems to condone "Drill, baby, drill," but, under her administration as Governor, Alaska formally sided with the Prince William folks in the case before the Supreme Court earlier this year where Exxon successfully sought to have their monetary responsibility for the Valdez oil spill reduced.
No need to mislead, Larry.
"But where is the 'populist' Palin? Has she been fighting for 19 years on behalf of the devastated Prince William folks? No, she is donning her old cheerleading outfit and waving pompoms and cheering, 'Drill, Baby, Drill!'"
I don't know that Sarah Palin has been fighting on behalf of the Prince William folks since she was twenty-five years old, nor have I seen her don a cheerleading outfit. She certainly seems to condone "Drill, baby, drill," but, under her administration as Governor, Alaska formally sided with the Prince William folks in the case before the Supreme Court earlier this year where Exxon successfully sought to have their monetary responsibility for the Valdez oil spill reduced.
No need to mislead, Larry.
Letter to the editor writer Lisa McCoy Reid of Greensboro gets her facts wrong
Lisa McCoy Reid of Greensboro had a letter to the editor published in today's News & Record (Greensboro, NC). She begins with:
"Barack Obama refers to Bill Ayers as just “some guy that I know.” Obama accepted a job from the unrepentant terrorist to head his Chicago foundation from 1995 to 2000. This position required a very close working relationship with Ayers."
Wrong. Ayers did not hire Obama. From an October 4th, 2008 article in the NY Times:
"[A]ccording to several people involved, Mr. Ayers played no role in Mr. Obama's appointment. Instead, it was suggested by Deborah Leff, then president of the Joyce Foundation, a Chicago-based group whose board Mr. Obama, a young lawyer, had joined the previous year." [See a complete debunking of the myth here.]
Reid then offers up this unsupportable nugget:
"Ayers avoided conviction for bombing places in the United States because the prosecutors failed to get a warrant before using wiretaps."
Not that this is relevant to Obama, but this serves as an example of the lack of critical thinking from the writer. The lack of warrants did not keep Ayers from being "convicted," they kept him from possibly being prosecuted.
Finally, Reid writes this:
"Those associated with ACORN have been convicted of mass voter-registration fraud in Ohio, Colorado, Mississippi and Washington."
This may be the smartest part of Reid's letter in that she carefully writes of "Those associated with ACORN," acknowledging that, where there have been such convictions, they were of people contracted by ACORN to register voters. Reid falls to mention that these convictions happened with the cooperation of ACORN. "Mass" fraud? Well, what's a little hyperbole when you have your facts wrong and can't think straight?
"Barack Obama refers to Bill Ayers as just “some guy that I know.” Obama accepted a job from the unrepentant terrorist to head his Chicago foundation from 1995 to 2000. This position required a very close working relationship with Ayers."
Wrong. Ayers did not hire Obama. From an October 4th, 2008 article in the NY Times:
"[A]ccording to several people involved, Mr. Ayers played no role in Mr. Obama's appointment. Instead, it was suggested by Deborah Leff, then president of the Joyce Foundation, a Chicago-based group whose board Mr. Obama, a young lawyer, had joined the previous year." [See a complete debunking of the myth here.]
Reid then offers up this unsupportable nugget:
"Ayers avoided conviction for bombing places in the United States because the prosecutors failed to get a warrant before using wiretaps."
Not that this is relevant to Obama, but this serves as an example of the lack of critical thinking from the writer. The lack of warrants did not keep Ayers from being "convicted," they kept him from possibly being prosecuted.
Finally, Reid writes this:
"Those associated with ACORN have been convicted of mass voter-registration fraud in Ohio, Colorado, Mississippi and Washington."
This may be the smartest part of Reid's letter in that she carefully writes of "Those associated with ACORN," acknowledging that, where there have been such convictions, they were of people contracted by ACORN to register voters. Reid falls to mention that these convictions happened with the cooperation of ACORN. "Mass" fraud? Well, what's a little hyperbole when you have your facts wrong and can't think straight?
Thursday, October 16, 2008
1 hour, 40 minutes to early vote
Just got a call from mom and dad who went to early vote this morning at the old courthouse. They report lines around the block, with an hour and forty minutes in line. They said they heard state senate candidate Don Vaughan (running against Joe Wilson) on the phone with the Board of Elections trying to convince them to set up more than the ten voting machines currently available.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Worthless McCain yard signs
Last night, someone stole my parent's Obama yard sign and replaced it with a McCain sign, which was promptly delivered to the garbage can. I guess there must be a shortage of people willing to put McCain signs in their yards and the landfill is the only place left for them.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
She acted legally. Why is the Palin report newsworthy?
Three words for your elucidation:
Johnson fires Wray.
Johnson fires Wray.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Is We101 faster?
I tried something today with We101.com that I should have done a long time ago (file caching* for you geeks). This should make We101 faster. What do you think? For those of you who are regular users, do you notice an improvement?
* Previously, We101 performed a database query every time a visitor loaded a page. For a city like Greensboro, with several hundreds (or more) of posts displayed by default, this was some substantial server overhead. It also was unnecessary.
The database of blog posts is only updated once an hour, so there really was nothing to be gained by querying the database with every page load. Now, with today's change, each time a visitor loads a page, the server will check the cache for a stored static (faster) HTML page. If there is such a page and it is no older than one hour, that page will be served to the visitor. If you are the lucky visitor who is the first to hit a page after the cache has expired, your page will query the database, you'll wait for the results, and the server will write a new page to the cache so all of the people who follow you for the next hour will get the speedy cached page.
* Previously, We101 performed a database query every time a visitor loaded a page. For a city like Greensboro, with several hundreds (or more) of posts displayed by default, this was some substantial server overhead. It also was unnecessary.
The database of blog posts is only updated once an hour, so there really was nothing to be gained by querying the database with every page load. Now, with today's change, each time a visitor loads a page, the server will check the cache for a stored static (faster) HTML page. If there is such a page and it is no older than one hour, that page will be served to the visitor. If you are the lucky visitor who is the first to hit a page after the cache has expired, your page will query the database, you'll wait for the results, and the server will write a new page to the cache so all of the people who follow you for the next hour will get the speedy cached page.
Kathryn Mittelstadt: Triad Business Leader Spammer
The spam from Business Leader Media continues unabated. As I've previously noted, and Sue has reported to the FCC, Bob Kober's new endeavor is really pissing people off. Now Kathryn Mittelstadt, Vice President - Events, has joined the spamming efforts, also sending unwanted emails to "Dear Subscriber."
If Business Leader Media tries to sell you exposure through their email marketing and they tell you that the people who receive their emails have subscribed to them, don't do it. They are sending email to people who haven't subscribed and who don't want this spam. Associating your company with this public relations wreck would be a mistake.
If Business Leader Media tries to sell you exposure through their email marketing and they tell you that the people who receive their emails have subscribed to them, don't do it. They are sending email to people who haven't subscribed and who don't want this spam. Associating your company with this public relations wreck would be a mistake.
More radical extremist links. We must not allow this to ascend to power.
Michelle Obama was revealed to have joined a race-centric nationalist party whose founder preached armed secession from the United States and who enlisted the government of Iran in his cause.
This is crazy. There is no way we can allow this kind of anti-American extremism to have a position of power. Surely we can all agree on this.
One more thing: This is not true of the Obamas, it describes the Palins.
This is crazy. There is no way we can allow this kind of anti-American extremism to have a position of power. Surely we can all agree on this.
One more thing: This is not true of the Obamas, it describes the Palins.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Triad News Wire (a Bob Kober joint) getting a formal complaint to the FCC
"The spam they send is crap; the site owners are managing a crap “business;” their technology is crap. I’m reporting them to the FCC."
Sue is as perturbed as I am about Bob Kober's latest endeavor: Spam from Triad News Wire.
Bob, you are going to have a hard time selling your product to advertisers if they start to become aware that the audience you promise them is thoroughly pissed off with your product. My suggestion? Cull your email list down to only those who really have subscribed and stop sending email to people who never asked to receive it.
Sue is as perturbed as I am about Bob Kober's latest endeavor: Spam from Triad News Wire.
Bob, you are going to have a hard time selling your product to advertisers if they start to become aware that the audience you promise them is thoroughly pissed off with your product. My suggestion? Cull your email list down to only those who really have subscribed and stop sending email to people who never asked to receive it.
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