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Prior to I neglect this with all that is proceeding on, I came across a different resource in town when I was speaking my certification check last week (or was it the week previous to?).  I was shopping on-line for just a location to consider my experiment when the “PC ProSchools” link arrived up as being a achievable check web site.  It turns out it really is really close to me (I-96 and East Beltline) and is fairly new (as well new for Google Maps – about a yr old).

I thought I knew of the majority of the Microsoft instruction amenities in town and had in no way discovered of them.  I received to my test about 15 minutes early and they had been completely booked so I started out asking about their applications and reading through several of their materials.  I ended up obtaining a tour in the facilities and packages by a guy named Richard Fera (who was definitely practical).

They had a fantastic education lab (room for 50 at brand new machines, dual projectors, dual stations inside the back again in the area for additional trainers (3 trainers offered inside a entire school)).  They had an open lab and what looked like a server area / wiring closet (which turned out to become an “advanced lab” area).  Their concentrate is within the infrastructure side (i.e. the MCSE route) on getting the servers up and working and all varieties of troubleshooting.  They don't offer you applications for application progress (i.e. the MCPD route).  So they had by no means over heard with the check I used to be taking nevertheless it was quite clear that their testing lab obtained pretty a little of use.

These are a Microsoft Platinum Partner provider for education (which says considerably about volume, graduation fee, certification rate, and placement price (>70%)).  It truly is an intriguing product simply because they work it form of like one thing between a technical trainer (i.e. giving one particular school at a time) including a university (full-blown multi-year program).  They provide you with an intense one-year routine which is open to any high-school graduate who meets some standard requirements.  The classes are either M/W or T/Th (which has a couple of Fridays thrown in for test-prep and labs) from 5:30-10:30, which can be pretty a lttle bit of do the job.  But in the end you must have your MCSE.

Add to this that in addition they do placement and also have projects looking for people – placed 48 in the lass class of 50.

Reading this post it sounds kind of like an advertisement, nonetheless it genuinely isn't.  I'd create about any new useful resource type, university, book, and so on. that might be beneficial to persons carrying out what I do (or supported the servers I must work on) and do that rather usually.  If I realized somebody who was interested in servers and hardware, and shopping for the employment not having committing 2-4 many years to college, this would seem like the form of issue you'd need to help keep you on observe and get it performed easily.  It is an method well worth checking out at smallest.

Have you been one of countless numbers who experience as if they’re stuck at a dead conclusion employment? Perhaps you commit a number of hours each day wondering how you'll be able to escape and move on to something superior. If not really a prosperous occupation, at least some thing less stressful and far more rewarding. You have observed the commercials about each of the programs in IT, but is it available for you? Can you truly succeed in this type of subject?

The response is really a resounding yes. It really is at the moment considered one of the most effective expanding fields on the work current market. Suitable now is the perfect time to jump in and turn out to be an IT specialized.  Computer Proschools can support you get there.

Gurus predict that practically half from the workforce within the United States are going to be employed in industries where by IT products and services are abundant. It is undoubtedly evident as many corporations nowadays rely on technology to purpose a lot more efficiently and keep up while using fierce competition. The IT business can present you with the power to obtain employment exactly where that you are financially rewarded and respected for your abilities, some thing we all want and deserve.

Beneath we have listed some information in regards to the IT industry to your examine. This details should give you an concept on tips on how to locate that successful profession you’ve been shopping for.

Careers in IT are estimated to boost at a fee of 36% more than the up coming ten ages

The IT domain accounts for an estimated 25% of the tasks created from 2002 on the current day

Computer-related work are among the very best 20 speediest developing professions inside United States. This quantity is estimated to raise additional than twice as quickly as other occupations

It’s been noted that IT work present the highest earnings of all the 20 best growing professions.

It really is one of the fasted rising parts of employment within the region. This discipline continues to offer possibilities to hundreds as many in the contracts created for IT go unfilled due to the lack of qualified candidates.

The programs in Data Technology are endless as this area can only improve. Just take a look at what we’ve previously witnessed so far. In a very small quantity of time, it might be you reaping the gains of this booming market. With various community institutions and on the web courses like Desktop Pro Universities, getting started has by no means been simpler.

Purely hop around the net, confer having a number of professionals and acquire the first step towards establishing your new profession.

What's Support Cubical?

A Guide Desk career offers the foundation to explore other gratifying careers in pcs. You never require past laptop or computer encounter to start your schooling and in just ten short weeks you are able to be beginning your new vocation! If you would like a fast solution…get trained…and get functioning!

Assist Table is really a necessary department at each and every firm that employs computer systems. Right now that's practically just about every company, generating Guide Table a recession evidence occupation! Help Cubical technicians respond to telephone calls and e-mail messages from customers looking for support with computer complications. Let’s say an accountant suddenly can't access payroll facts that's stored over a pc system. This accountant would make contact with you and it would be your responsibility to troubleshoot and fix this problem. In responding to these inquiries, help-desk technicians ought to listen thoroughly towards purchaser, ask questions to diagnose the nature with the trouble, after which it patiently stroll the customer as a result of the problem-solving steps.
Have the suitable instruction quickly so that you can start off building the proper funds more rapidly.

Our Computer system Aid Desk program can acquire your perform encounter together with your current talents, and mix it with an instruction focused on one of the quickest rising occupations in the U.S. in just ten weeks. Like a Microsoft IT Academy which includes a confirmed and extensive system we can transform you into a highly sought following Assist Table Professional with marketplace common certifications. This routine is 100% on-line to help you carry on to function although in school. And our results speak for themselves.

The U.S. Dept of Education National Center for Instruction Statistics tells us that a four year institution trail now calls for 6 years with a 57% graduation rate and a a couple of year community college/tech college now requires 3 years with an alarming 23% graduation charge. Regrettably, the majority of us do not have that type of time to commence generating the dollars we ought to survive. And who would like to chance people odds of finishing the program? Our graduation costs are in excess of 80%.
Consider the earliest action toward receiving again on track.

Unemployment rates are hitting record high levels and our nation is struggling out of an economic recession; you can’t afford to wait any longer. Regardless of whether you could have currently been laid off, concern the loss of your respective work or just want to create a improve, a different career might be yours! You possibly can be on your own solution to the career that presents the salary and security you will need.

See for yourself by registering for an informational seminar comprehensive with schedule and tuition information. Purely click for the “Attend Profession Revival” button and you will be on your way!

Computer ProSchools Graduation Achievement
Pc ProSchools, a Microsoft Academy, is proud to announce its earliest graduating class of 2008. In 2007 more than 300 IT Specialists graduated from Desktop ProSchools' Guide Desk/MCSA program.

FOR Fast Release
PR Log (Press Release) – Apr 18, 2008 – Above 150 graduates and their guests filed into the Region Inn & Suites in Brookfield, WI on the cool spring evening to celebrate a six month journey to becoming an IT expert.

Last August, students in record 183 began their journey at the Brookfield Campus of Desktop ProSchools, a Microsoft IT Academy licensed by the Wisconsin Educational Approval Board and accredited by ACCET.   Track 183 contained manufacturers, construction workers, secretaries, retail representatives and office workers. All committed to changing their lives and becoming  Guide Cubical Analysts, Network Administrators or Pc Technicians to name just a handful of and on March 20, 2008 they were a single stage closer.

The Commencement ceremony began using a Welcoming Address from Campus Director Laura Polancich. Polancich, whose primary responsibility at Computer Pro Colleges is to provide career placement companies was proud to congratulate the more than fifty percent of the graduating school that had already secured a job in the substantial paying IT industry and made a commitment to carry on assisting those people still searching. Subsequent Vice President of Educational Services, Kate Pelchat, presented an Executive Address and congratulated the class for their hard do the job and dedication. Pelchat compared the graduates’ journey at Laptop or computer Pro Educational facilities towards the CAT5 cable they had been given at their initial orientation highlighting the ups and downs and even the knots at times and shared a quote from Ernest Hemmingway that “It is good to have an end to journey towards nevertheless it will be the journey itself that matters inside the end.”

Lead Instructor Mick Brentar stood just before the class for his final lecture, so to speak. He challenged them to continue learning always and explained how proud he is to now call them colleagues in the IT Market.
The Keynote Address was delivered by Ricardo Monteen, a Guide Desk Manager at Manpower Corporation along with a former graduate of Desktop ProSchools from 1 yr ago. He chronicled his journey, sharing how different his life is now. It was a full circle moment for everyone as Monteen explained how he had just hired four Pc Pro Educational institutions graduates for his Help Desk team.

The mood was higher as the evening concluded using a punch and cake reception where by families, graduates and faculty shared memories; all knowing that the sum of a journey is a whole new perspective of home and for all that perspective is really different 6 months later.
Graduate Wendy Tokarz shared “Being able to graduate with my category and conquer this kind of challenging goal feels excellent. My family and friends are so proud of me. It’s just good!”

At the time of this publication, a smaller amount than a person month later, above 75% of these graduates, including Tokarz have been offered IT positions and have begun enjoying the positive aspects of their new careers.

Laptop or computer Pro Educational institutions an ally in improving laptop or computer admittance among those with disabilities

Last Spring, New Horizons Un-Limited (NHU) had the good fortune of meeting Laura, the Campus Director of Laptop or computer Pro Schools’ Brookfield campus, at a Brew City HDI chapter meeting. At the meeting, NHU expressed a need to have for volunteer technicians to assist with their pc refurbishing and help desk activities. Seeing this opportunity like a way to give back, even though also supporting the occupation goals of her students, Laura easily recruited students to aid NHU.

Around this past calendar year, NHU has welcomed nearly a dozen Computer Pro Colleges students as volunteers. While all in the student volunteers have had a solid technical foundation, many of them had been lacking that all important specialist encounter to help them win their dream employment.

What NHU presents in knowledge towards students is exceeded by what they, as volunteers, have contributed to NHU's system. They have expertly refurbished dozens of personal computers, which, in turn, have been donated to dozens of individuals with disabilities that would not have otherwise been able to afford a home laptop or computer.

Just like NHU's student volunteers, the individuals that receive the refurbished computer systems are trying to enhance their lives through technologies. A computer means additional to them than the majority of us could ever imagine.

To numerous of NHU's recipients, a personal computer stands out as the tool they ought to pursue their dream work and ultimately their own financial freedom.

NHU's refurbishing program is run entirely by volunteer technicians. It merely would not be possible with no the expertise and dedication of their volunteers.

NHU's most recent group of volunteers are going to be graduating from Computer Pro Educational institutions in just weeks. It really is NHU's hope that the encounter the students have received will aid the students reach their career goals.

NHU would like to extend a special thank you to Craig, Dan, Fred, Jim and Jonathan for their dedication to seeing that all people, no matter their income, may have access to a home computer.

Pc ProSchools Unveils New Website
Cutting edge technological know-how illustrates a apparent picture of this state-of-art Microsoft IT Academy. Personal computer ProSchools, Inc. is excited to announce its new website located at www.pcproschools.edu.

FOR Fast Discharge
PR Log (Press Launch) – Apr 23, 2008 – Since 1994 Computer ProSchools has been providing IT exercising inside the Milwaukee spot. More than the a long time, Desktop ProSchools expanded operations opening campuses in Green Bay, WI and Madison, WI. In 2006 and 2007 the campuses in Grand Rapids, MI and Indianapolis, IN respectively opened. “As we grow we wish to present a consistent brand image,” explains CEO James Brent. “When you enter a Starbucks, you immediately know exactly where that you are by reason of the colors and décor and their promotional items and website carry this same feel and image.” 

Earlier this calendar year Desktop ProSchools hired InovaOne, a full-service strategic consulting corporation specializing in creative design and production, media delivery and complete outsourcing services located in Roswell, GA, to create a whole new branding concept. In addition towards the website, InovaOne made a different logo, school colors and promotional materials to present a consistent image at the five Laptop or computer ProSchools’ campuses located throughout the Mid-West.

“The objective of our new website is to provide prospective students with the initial details so they may be excited to consider the next stage and routine a campus visit” shares Vice President of Marketing and Admission, Wendy Mirenda.  “When we 1st started off speaking to InovaOne I was impressed with how they used high-tech avenues to present their messages. Like a state-of-the art Microsoft IT Academy, I thought we need to be accomplishing that.”  And the new website does just that! www.pcproschools.edu offers interactive videos to highlight all that Desktop ProSchools has to offer you. In addition, a prospective student can analyze their own IT knowledge by way of the Computer Knowledge Assessment or sign up to visit a campus proper as a result of the website.

Overall, the new website offers general data about Personal computer ProSchools, a series of student accomplishment stories shared directly from the students themselves inside a video testimonial format, Profession Providers and IT Sector Information tabs providing insight into how Computer ProSchools gives students that winning advantage inside best expanding industry inside the US. Another added benefit is the new Employers page in which IT managers and employers can find out far more and speak to us directly to hire one of our graduates.

Desktop ProSchools also switched towards the .edu website address from the prior .com address. This address is exclusive to educational institutions, requiring proof of your respective accredited status ahead of even securing the complete address. Following achieving accreditation with ACCET last yr Personal computer ProSchools certified for this educational based address line. “We’re an accredited classes,” explains VP of Instruction, Kate Pelchat, “we need to be letting the general public know that by means of the use on the .edu address.” Visitors familiar with using the original website will now purely be redirected automatically for the www.pcproschools.edu website.
For a lot more info on Personal computer ProSchools visit www.pcproschools.edu. For far more details about InovaOne visit www.inovaone.com.

Deputies, Samaritans Help Lady Immediately after Crash

POSTED: 12:07 pm EST February 23, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando girl was rescued right after flipping her car right into a retention pond on Tuesday morning.

Erin Carmody, 35, attempted to abruptly alter lanes near condition Highway 408 and condition Street 417.

Although changing lanes, Carmody lost handle of the vehicle and struck a van. Carmody's vehicle flipped into the pond.

Deputies could not open the car's doors and feared the car or truck would slide into deeper standard water. The deputies also attempted to roll the vehicle on its side to acquire the doors' windows over the mineral water line, but the automobile was too large.

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Canadian women subject to extra ultrasounds during pregnancy: study

National Post ^

| 1/6/09
| Sharon Kirkey, Canwest News Service

Posted on 01/06/2010 7:50:51 AM PST by Nachum

Waves of Canadian women are getting extra ultrasounds during pregnancy, often three or more — a rate that appears to be climbing for no apparent medical reasons.

A new study based on nearly 1.4 million deliveries in Ontario shows more than a third of women — 37% — now receive three or more ultrasounds in their second and third trimesters.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalpost.com …

TOPICS: Canada; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: canadian; extra; ultrasounds; women

as your Dr has said, the extra growth scans are only if there is 'cause for concern' ie/ the baby is to big or to small, not enough fluid etc.
I know its nice to have extra scans (however from my experience by the end of your pregnancy they just become something else you need to sit around for when you're tired, feeling huge and sick) , but surely not having the additional worry that your baby is not growing properly or is growing to big possibly implying other issues is better?

3d scans will occasionally give you a rough idea depending on the sonographer but if not then the average baby is between 6-8lbs at birth.No, research shows it is fine.

My OB does u/s as routine at just about every visit. I lost count of the number I had (though most were very fast, 5 minutes or less)… but if I had to hazard a guess, I would say I had… 12.. at least???

LO is fine! And, like I said, this is normal for my OB, who has delivered thousands of babies. I would think he would have seen a pattern by now if it were a problem.

It is now widely accepted that being able to see an unborn child inside the womb is a valuable emotional and psychological tool for a growing family. Both parents and siblings react emotionally to seeing a moving image of their new family member alive and inside the mother. This helps create bonds between them long before birth, and adds to stronger bonds once the baby arrives.

Our new site in St Pete is one of the locations where Look Who’s Kickin’ offers this experience for expectant mothers and their families. A 3D ultrasound will provide you with an astonishingly detailed still image of your baby as it grows inside you. You will then be able to take away the images to share with the rest of the family and keep forever. With a 4D ultrasound you will see a real-time moving image of your child, which you can take with you on CD or DVD. These images are incredibly detailed and will allow you to see all the visible features of your child before it’s even born.

The procedure is much the same as the one you will have had with your practitioner. They will have performed an anomaly scan at 20 weeks to check for any problems and to ensure healthy growth. You can then visit us between 24 and 32 weeks for an extra scan. It doesn’t duplicate the medical ones, it concentrates on the emotional side of pregnancy. It gives you and your family the opportunity to meet the baby at the earliest time and prepare yourselves emotional for the times ahead.

The ultrasound will last about an hour where you will be able to see all the images we do. If you’re having the 4D option, then we will take all the images and edit them into a montage of the best bits and remove the other stuff. What you will end up with is a CD or DVD of the highlights of the scan and hopefully some amazing images to show the rest of your family.

Then afterwards if you have a mind to, there is the option to enjoy a relaxing mom’s only massage session with one of our qualified masseuse. We have a range of massage therapies specially designed for expectant mothers. From a simple shoulder or leg massage to a full on ‘Mom-To-Be Therapeutic Massage’.

Enjoy your time with us and let us take care of you, and pamper you to let you forget about being pregnant for a while. Relax for a bit in our luxurious and calm surroundings without all the humdrum of a busy home or demands on your time.

Our new St Pete center is fully geared towards making your time with us as relaxing and rewarding as possible. Why not come over and see us soon, and let us take the weight off for you.

News Quiz | January 7, 2010 – The Learning Network Blog – NYTimes.com

See what you know about the news of the day. … News Quiz | January 7, 2010. By NICK CORASANITI. See what you know about the news below. To prepare, you might scan the articles or summaries on today's front page. …

News Ticker: Lady Gaga, The Knife, Willie Mitchell, TWLOHA …

Up to the minute breaking news from the world of music, from the editors of Rolling Stone.

Footprints Could Push Back Tetrapod Origins – Science News

Newly discovered trackways much older than previous evidence for sea-to-land transition.

(Originally posted on Daily Kos.)

Since 2003, the ACLU and other U.S. human rights organizations have filed dozens of cases relating to the abuse and torture of prisoners. Some of these cases seek to enforce requests under the Freedom of Information Act. Others seek to impose civil liability on those who authorized or perpetrated the abuse.

Since 2005, the ACLU has also advocated for the appointment of an independent prosecutor to examine issues of criminal responsibility. Since a prosecutor was appointed in August, we have advocated for an expansion of the prosecutor's mandate.

These efforts have been intended to serve several ends: To create a public record of the Bush administration's policies and their consequences; to obtain recognition and compensation for torture victims; to ensure that government officials who violated the law are held to account; and to reduce the likelihood that the abuses of the last administration are repeated by the current administration, or by a future one.

We had hoped, and expected, that the Obama administration would share our commitment to most if not all of these ends. The administration promised accountability, and initially it seemed ready to deliver. Immediately after taking office, President Obama disavowed torture and shuttered the CIA's black sites. Two months later, he agreed to release the Justice Department legal memos that sought to authorize torture.

But notwithstanding those early decisions, the administration has not made good on its promise of accountability. Now the administration is suppressing the evidence rather than disclosing it, and protecting torturers instead of investigating them. It is shielding Bush administration officials from civil liability, criminal investigation, and even public scrutiny.

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• In FOIA suits, the administration is withholding key documents relating to the CIA's rendition, detention, and interrogation program. And it affirmatively supported new legislation to suppress photographs depicting the abuse of prisoners in defense Department custody.
• In civil damages suits, the administration has urged courts not to allow torture victims to bring claims under the Constitution. It has argued that officials should be immune from suit because it was not “clearly established” between 2002 and 2004 that torturing prisoners at Guantanamo was illegal. And in cases relating to the CIA, it has invoked the state secrets privilege to shut down lawsuits at the very outset.
• With respect to the criminal investigation initiated in August, the administration has offered a kind of immunity to interrogators who relied on the torture memos while also declining, at least so far, to investigate those who wrote the memos or authorized torture.

The Bush administration constructed a legal framework for torture, but the Obama administration is constructing a legal framework for impunity.

The issue of accountability will come to the fore once again over the next few weeks. On December 15th, the ACLU will argue before an en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit in Mohamed, et al. v. Jeppesen, a case concerning the CIA's rendition program. On December 16th and 23rd, the CIA is due to hand over to the ACLU documents relating to secret prisons overseas. And the Justice Department is expected imminently to release a report, written by the Office of Professional Responsibility, that examines the conduct of the lawyers who wrote the torture memos.

It's not too late for the Obama administration to reconsider the positions it has taken in court. And it's not too late for the Justice Department to expand the scope of the criminal investigation it initiated in August. But if the administration doesn't change course, it will accomplish something that the Bush administration never managed: It will institutionalize a sweeping immunity doctrine for torturers.

Discovery of Intelligent Life in the Milky Way: “It's Only a Matter of Time…”

Pentagon used psychological operation on US public, documents show

By Brad Jacobson
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 — 10:12 am

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Figure in Bush propaganda operation remains Pentagon spokesman

In Part I of this series, Raw Story revealed that Bryan Whitman, the current deputy assistant secretary of defense for media operations, was an active senior participant in a Bush administration covert Pentagon program that used retired military analysts to generate positive wartime news coverage.

A months-long review of documents and interviews with Pentagon personnel has revealed that the Bush Administration's military analyst program — aimed at selling the Iraq war to the American people — operated through a secretive collaboration between the Defense Department's press and community relations offices.

Raw Story has also uncovered evidence that directly ties the activities undertaken in the military analyst program to an official US military document’s definition of psychological operations — propaganda that is only supposed to be directed toward foreign audiences.

The investigation of Pentagon documents and interviews with Defense Department officials and experts in public relations found that the decision to fold the military analyst program into community relations and portray it as “outreach” served to obscure the intent of the project as well as that office’s partnership with the press office. It also helped shield its senior supervisor, Bryan Whitman, assistant secretary of defense for media operations, whose role was unknown when the original story of the analyst program broke.

In a nearly hour-long phone interview, Whitman asserted that since the program was not run from his office, he was neither involved nor culpable. Exposure of the collaboration between the Pentagon press and community relations offices on this program, however, as well as an effort to characterize it as a mere community outreach project, belie Whitman’s claim that he bears no responsibility for the program’s activities.

These new revelations come in addition to the evidence of Whitman’s active and extensive participation in the program, as Raw Story documented in part one of this series. Whitman remains a spokesman for the Pentagon today.

Whitman said he stood by an earlier statement in which he averred “the intent and purpose of the is nothing other than an earnest attempt to inform the American public.”

In the interview, Whitman sought to portray his role as peripheral, noting that his position naturally demands he speak on a number of subjects in which he isn’t necessarily directly involved.

The record, however, suggests otherwise.

In a January 2005 memorandum to active members of both offices from then-Pentagon press office director, Navy Captain Roxie Merritt, who now leads the community relations office, emphasized the necessary “synergy of outreach shop and media ops working together” on the military analyst program. [p. 18-19]

Merritt recommended that both the press and community relations offices develop a “hot list” of analysts who could dependably “carry our water” and provide them with ultra-exclusive access that would compel the networks to “weed out the less reliably friendly analysts” on their own.

“Media ops and outreach can work on a plan to maximize use of the analysts and figure out a system by which we keep our most reliably friendly analysts plugged in on everything from crisis response to future plans,” Merritt remarked. “As evidenced by this analyst trip to Iraq, the synergy of outreach shop and media ops working together on these types of projects is enormous and effective. Will continue to examine ways to improve processes.”

In response, Lawrence Di Rita, then Pentagon public affairs chief, agreed. He told Merritt and both offices in an email, “I guess I thought we already were doing a lot of this.”

Several names on the memo are redacted. Those who are visible read like a who’s who of the Pentagon press and community relations offices: Whitman, Merritt, her deputy press office director Gary Keck (both of whom reported directly to Whitman) and two Bush political appointees, Dallas Lawrence and Allison Barber, then respectively director and head of community relations.

Merritt became director of the office, and its de facto chief until the appointment of a new deputy assistant secretary of defense, after the departures of Barber and Lawrence, the ostensible leaders of the military analyst program. She remains at the Defense Department today.

When reached through email, Merritt attempted to explain the function of her office's outreach program and what distinguishes it from press office activities.

“Essentially,” Merritt summarized, “we provide another avenue of communications for citizens and organizations wanting to communicate directly with DoD.”

Asked to clarify, she said that outreach’s purpose is to educate the public in a one-to-one manner about the Defense Department and military’s structure, history and operations. She also noted her office “does not handle news media unless they have a specific question about one of our programs.”

Merritt eventually admitted that it is not a function of the outreach program to provide either information or talking points to individuals or a group of individuals — such as the retired military analysts — with the intention that those recipients use them to directly engage with traditional news media and influence news coverage.

Asked directly if her office provides talking points for this purpose, she replied, “No. The talking points are developed for use by DoD personnel.”

Experts in public relations and propaganda say Raw Story's findings reveal the program itself was “unwise” and “inherently deceptive.” One expressed surprise that one of the program's senior figures was still speaking for the Pentagon.

“Running the military analyst program from a community relations office is both surprising and unwise,” said Nicholas Cull, a professor of public diplomacy at USC’s Annenberg School and an expert on propaganda. “It is surprising because this is not what that office should be doing unwise because the element of subterfuge is always a lightening rod for public criticism.”

Diane Farsetta, a senior researcher at the Center for Media and Democracy, which monitors publics relations and media manipulation, said calling the program “outreach” was “very calculatedly misleading” and another example of how the project was “inherently deceptive.”

“This has been their talking point in general on the Pentagon pundit program,” Farsetta explained. “You know, ‘We’re all just making sure that we’re sharing information.’”

Farsetta also said that it’s “pretty stunning” that no one, including Whitman, has been willing to take any responsibility for the program and that the Pentagon Inspector General’s office and Congress have yet to hold anyone accountable.

“It’s hard to think of a more blatant example of propaganda than this program,” Farsetta said.

Cull said the revelations are “just one more indication that the entire apparatus of the US government’s strategic communications — civilian and military, at home and abroad — is in dire need of review and repair.”

A PSYOPS Program Directed at American Public

When the military analyst program was first revealed by The New York Times in 2008, retired US Army Col. Ken Allard described it as “PSYOPS on steroids.”

It turns out this was far from a casual reference. Raw Story has discovered new evidence that directly exposes this stealth media project and the activities of its participants as matching the US government’s own definition of psychological operations, or PSYOPS.

The US Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command fact sheet, which states that PSYOPS should be directed “to foreign audiences” only, includes the following description:

“Used during peacetime, contingencies and declared war, these activities are not forms of force, but are force multipliers that use nonviolent means in often violent environments.”

Pentagon public affairs officials referred to the military analysts as “message force multipliers” in documented communications.

A prime example is a May 2006 memorandum from then community relations chief Allison Barber in which she proposes sending the military analysts on another trip to Iraq:

“Based on past trips, I would suggest limiting the group to 10 analysts, those with the greatest ability to serve as message force multipliers.”

Nicholas Cull, who also directs the public diplomacy master’s program at USC and has written extensively on propaganda and media history, found the Pentagon public affairs officials’ use of such terms both incriminating and reckless.

“ use of psyop terminology is an ‘own goal,’” Cull explained in an email, “as it speaks directly to the American public’s underlying fear of being brainwashed by its own government.”

This new evidence provides further perspective on an incident cited by the Times.

Pentagon records show that the day after 14 marines died in Iraq on August 3, 2005, James T. Conway, then director of operations for the Joint Chiefs, instructed military analysts during a briefing to work to prevent the incident from weakening public support for the war. Conway reminded the military analysts assembled, “The strategic target remains our population.” [p. 102]

Same Strategy, Different Program

Bryan Whitman was also involved in a different Pentagon public affairs project during the lead-up to the war in Iraq: embedding reporters.

The embed and military analyst programs shared the same underlying strategy of “information dominance,” the same objective of selling Bush administration war policies by generating favorable news coverage and were directed at the same target — the American public.

Torie Clarke, the first Pentagon public affairs chief, is often credited for conceiving both programs. But Clarke and Whitman have openly acknowledged his deep involvement in the embed project.

Clarke declined to be interviewed for this article.

Whitman said he was “heavily involved in the process” of the embed program's development, implementation and supervision.

Before embedding, reporters and media organizations were forced to sign a contract whose ground rules included allowing military officials to review articles for release, traveling with military personnel escorts at all times or remaining in designated areas, only conducting on-the-record interviews, and agreeing that the government may terminate the contract “at any time and for any reason.”

In May 2002, with planning for a possible invasion of Iraq already in progress, Clarke appointed Whitman to head all Pentagon media operations. Prior to that, he had served since 1995 in the Pentagon press office, both as deputy director for press operations and as a public affairs specialist.

The timing of Whitman’s appointment coincided with the development stages of the embed and military analyst programs. He was the ideal candidate for both projects.

Whitman had a military background, having served in combat as a Special Forces commander and as an Army public affairs officer with years of experience in messaging from the Pentagon. He also had experience in briefing and prepping civilian and military personnel.

Whitman's background provided him with a facility and familiarity in navigating military and civilian channels. With these tools in hand, he was able to create dialogue between the two and expedite action in a sprawling and sometimes contentious bureaucracy.

Buried in an obscure April 2008 online New York Times Q&A with readers, reporter David Barstow disclosed:

“As Lawrence Di Rita, a former senior Pentagon official told me, they viewed [the military analyst program] as the ‘mirror image’ of the Pentagon program for embedding reporters with units in the field. In this case, the military analysts were in effect ‘embedded’ with the senior leadership through a steady mix of private briefings, trips and talking points.”

Di Rita denied the conversation had occurred in a telephone interview.

“I don’t doubt that’s what he heard, but that’s not what I said,” Di Rita asserted.

Whitman said he'd never heard Di Rita make any such comparison between the programs.

Barstow, however, said he stood behind the veracity of the quote and the conversation he attributed to Di Rita.

Di Rita, who succeeded Clarke, also declined to answer any questions related to Whitman’s involvement in the military analyst program, including whether he had been involved in its creation.

Clarke and Whitman have both discussed information dominance and its role in the embed program.

In her 2006 book Lipstick on a Pig, Clarke revealed that “most importantly, embedding was a military strategy in addition to a public affairs one” (p. 62) and that the program’s strategy was “simple: information dominance” (p. 187). To achieve it, she explained, there was a need to circumvent the traditional news media “filter” where journalists act as “intermediaries.”

The goal, just as with the military analyst program, was not to spin a story but to control the narrative altogether.

At the 2003 Military-Media conference in Chicago, Whitman told the audience, “We wanted to take the offensive to achieve information dominance” because “information was going to play a major role in combat operations.” [pdf link p. 2] One of the other program’s objectives, he said, was “to build and maintain support for U.S. policy.” [pdf link, p. 16 – quote sourced in 2005 recap of 2003 mil-media conference]

At the March 2004 “Media at War” conference at UC Berkeley, Lt. Col. Rick Long, former head of media relations for the US Marine Corps, offered a candid view of the Pentagon’s engagement in “information warfare” during the Bush administration.

“Our job is to win, quite frankly,” said Long. “The reason why we wanted to embed so many media was we wanted to dominate the information environment. We wanted to beat any kind of propaganda or disinformation at its own game.”

“Overall,” he told the audience, “we’re happy with the outcome.”

The Appearance of Transparency

On a national radio program just before the invasion of Iraq, Whitman claimed that embedded reporters would have a firsthand perspective of “the good, the bad and the ugly.”

But veteran foreign correspondent Reese Erlich told Raw Story that the embed program was “a stroke of genius by the Bush administration” because it gave the appearance of transparency while “in reality, they were manipulating the news.”

In a phone interview, Erlich, who is currently covering the war in Afghanistan as a “unilateral” (which allows reporters to move around more freely without the restrictions of embed guidelines), also pointed out the psychological and practical influence the program has on reporters.

“You’re traveling with a particular group of soldiers,” he explained. “Your life literally depends on them. And you see only the firefights or slog that they’re involved in. So you’re not going to get anything close to balanced reporting.”

At the August 2003 Military-Media conference in Chicago, Jonathan Landay, who covered the initial stages of the war for Knight Ridder Newspapers, said that being a unilateral “gave me the flexibility to do my job.” [pdf link p. 2]

He added, “Donald Rumsfeld told the American people that what happened in northern Iraq after [the invasion] was a little ‘untidiness.’ What I saw, and what I reported, was a tsunami of murder, looting, arson and ethnic cleansing.”

Paul Workman, a journalist with over thirty years at CBC News, including foreign correspondent reporting on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote of the program in April 2003, “It is a brilliant, persuasive conspiracy to control the images and the messages coming out of the battlefield and they've succeeded colossally.”

Erlich said he thought most mainstream US reporters have been unwilling to candidly discuss the program because they “weren’t interested in losing their jobs by revealing what they really thought about the embed process.”

Now embedded with troops in Afghanistan for McClatchy, Landay told Raw Story it’s not that reporters shouldn’t be embedded with troops at all, but that it should be only one facet of every news outlet’s war coverage.

Embedding, he said, offers a “soda-straw view of events.” This isn't necessarily negative “as long as a news outlet has a number of embeds and unilaterals whose pictures can be combined” with civilian perspectives available from international TV outlets such as Reuters TV, AP TV, and al Jazeera, he said.

Landay placed more blame on US network news outlets than on the embed program itself for failing to show a more balanced and accurate picture.

But when asked if the Pentagon and the designers of the embed program counted as part of their embedding strategy on the dismal track record of US network news outlets when it came to including international TV footage from civilian perspectives, he replied, “I will not second guess the Pentagon’s motives.”

Brad Jacobson is a contributing investigative reporter for Raw Story. Additional research was provided by Ron Brynaert.

Thousands of Hotmail passwords have been hacked and posted online, BBC News has learnt.

Microsoft, which owns the popular web-based e-mail system, said that it was aware of the claims and that it was “investigating the situation”.

BBC News has seen a list of more than 10,000 accounts, which technology blog Neowin.net said had been posted online.

The blog suggested the accounts had been hacked or had been collected as part of a phishing scheme.

Phishing involves using fake websites to lure people into revealing personal details such as bank accounts or login names and passwords.

'Rapid response'

Neowin claims the details were posted on 1 October to pastebin.com, a website commonly used by developers to share code.

Although the details have since been removed, BBC News and Neowin has seen a list of 10,027 names beginning with the letters A and B.

BBC News has confirmed that the accounts are genuine.

“Most appear to be based in Europe,” Tom Warren, a neowin blogger, wrote on the site.

The list included details of Microsoft's Windows Live Hotmail accounts with email addresses ending hotmail.com, msn.com and live.com.

Microsoft said it had “been made aware of the claims that Windows Live IDs and passwords have been made available on the web”.

“We're actively investigating the situation and will take appropriate steps as rapidly as possible,” a spokesperson said.

Neowin said that it recommended Windows Live Hotmail users to change their “password and security question immediately”.

Hotmail is currently the largest web-based email service.

source

Whilst there have been countless positives that widespread and innovative internet communications have had the world over, many of the issues associated are the same now as they were years ago. The majority of the persistent problems relate to personal security, theft, frauds and internet crime generally. Although many have taken measures to counter abuses of the internet to commit crime, it is still a major problem facing technicians, law enforcement, Internet Service Providers and users. Whilst these measures seem to have come quite a distance, internet crime is still a prevalent issue. Particular aspects of internet crime such as identity theft, child pornography and personal theft have borne a shift in perceived responsibility from users and computer owners, to ISP's and law enforcement agencies. Whilst the responsibility betwixt them may appear balanced; the focus of both legal, and moral responsibility is focused increasingly on ISPs.

The rapid rise of computerised communications has raised very serious questions relating to the safety and security of their use. Just who can and can't read your email, access personal information and even use it themselves; have all become serious problems. With an increasing amount of personal information stored on, or via, the internet in recent times; the security of that information is of paramount concern to consumers generally. Whilst anonymity is the goal for most, in itself it throws up major obstacles for crime prevention. Some suggest that whilst anonymity can aid law enforcement track criminals without alerting them, it can also lead to widespread abuses of file sharing networks. Although these ideas are diametrically opposed, and cannot be easily reconciled, anonymity is nonetheless impossible. Given the amount of information that ISP's collect on their clients activities on-line, information appears readily available. There are major concerns about the vehicle the internet provides for personal snooping, both at a national and international level. The viability, and usefulness of user-end preventative solutions to such misuses of personal information seem lame, compared to the resourcefulness of those wanting to steal it. As early as 2004, the FBI has said that identity theft is the most pervasive and fastest-growing form of non-violent crime. Whether or not this is tacit recognition of the losing battle users may be facing, the need for increased security around personal information could not be as obvious. Some agree that it is entirely understandable that police and the ISP's should wish to develop mutual understanding and support, and to establish working relationships.

Another internet crime that often permeates social agendas and attention is child abuse and pornography. Whether or not because of overwhelming public outrage at offenders, or an inherent sense of responsibility, ISPs take an active role in detection, and prevention of child pornography. Although it is impossible to identify the amount of transmission of child porn that did not occur, one must assume that by demonstrating the ISPs utility in identifying suspected cases, they are reducing the incidents. When such cases are detected, the amount of media attention, and public fury generated are emblematic of a society keen to ensconce responsibility on someone. Whilst the most effective mechanisms to deal with such crimes are probably community based; there is little doubt that as acts of child abuse and victimisation via the Internet become more apparent, the efforts of ISPs will become more aggressive. ISPs certainly don't appear to be shirking their assumed responsibilities vis-à-vis the more heinous abuses of their services.

J. Rapoza, 'Who Am I?' E-Week. Aug 16. 2004. pp. 41
Y. Akdeniz, 'New Privacy Concerns: ISP's, Crime Prevention and Consumers' Rights', International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, Vol. 14(1), pp. 55-61. p.55.
P. Fox, 'ISP's Have to Step Up on Security', Computerworld, Dec 4. 2004, Vol. 38(15) pp. 20-21. p.21.
. Akdeniz, 'New Privacy Concerns: ISP's, Crime Prevention and Consumers' Rights', p.56
K.A. McCabe, 'The Role of Internet Service Providers in Cases of Child Pornography and Child Prostitution', Social Science Computer Review, Vol. 26(2), pp. 247-251. p. 248.
Ibid. p.250.

<b>New</b> Research Strategy for Substance Abuse | Psych Central <b>News</b>

Substance abuse now accounts for one in 14 hospital admissions and billions in health care costs. Accordingly, leading scientists have presented a <b>new</b> research.

Reflections of a Newsosaur: How to sell <b>news</b> on the web: A checklist

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There is not much in life that is free. At least not anything that amounts to anything except free internet advertising and free search engine submission sites. Submitting your content, articles, blogs and websites to the major search engines for free is a sure fire way to get a lot more visitors to your content. The better that your content is optimized, the higher you will find your content in the search engine rankings. Follow these steps for submitting your content to the two major search engines to increase the main exposure to your articles within the search engines.

The Google search engine- Google has quickly become the biggest and most recognized search engine on the internet. Submit all of your content to google as you possibly can. As long as you have well optimized content, google will find,crawl and rank your content well within the first page of the search results and the best part is that it is free. You can use this link to submit all of your content for free to the google search engine:
http://www.google.com/addurl/. Just add your content into the provided box and click the add button and you will have added your content to tthe google search engine.

The Yahoo search engine- The yahoo search engine is the other main search engine that is very well recognized by the whole world and yahoo also finds, crawls and ranks your content about the same way google does. If you can optimize your content very good, then yahoo will rank your content on the very first page of the search results. You cant be that. Visit this link for submitting content to the yahoo search engine for free:
https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit

Keep in mind that submitting your content,websites,articles and blogs to the major search engines has a big impact on your article exposure. Every time you want to advertise your content for free to the two major search engines for free, use the two links above. Good luck.

By Daniel Saltman

Refine your search results with new Search Options

10/01/2009 09:00:00 AM

In May, we launched Search Options, a side panel that lets you filter, refine and generate different views of your search results. We've received lots of positive feedback, and we're seeing more and more people using Search Options every day.

Today, we're announcing nine new Search Options tools: past hour, specific date range, more shopping sites, fewer shopping sites, visited pages, not yet visited, books, blogs and news. These features have been rolling out gradually and will be available globally in English by the end of the day. You can try them yourself by searching Google and clicking “Show options” in the blue bar just under the logo.

Past hour and Specific date range: With these tools you can choose to see only the most recent results in our index, or see results from a specific time period. This can be particularly helpful when you're looking for the freshest information, or if you have some idea of when the information you're looking for may have been published to the web.

Click on the image for a larger version

More shopping sites and Fewer shopping sites: Now you can choose “More shopping sites” to show additional commercial pages and display prices from those pages right in the search results. If you're doing product research and are not quite ready to make a purchase, you can choose to see “Fewer shopping sites” to filter out many of the commercial sites.

Visited pages and Not yet visited: Rediscover pages you've visited before by clicking “Visited pages,” or filter out the websites you've seen by clicking “Not yet visited.” This can be particularly helpful when you're researching something you've already explored and you want to return right where you left off. To use this option you'll need to be signed in to your Google Account and have Web History enabled.

Books, Blogs and News: Click on these filters to see results only from these sources. Putting these filters together, along with videos, forums, and reviews, allows you to quickly switch between different source types right on the search results page.

We hope you get a chance to try out these powerful new ways to refine your search results. Please visit our help center to learn more about Search Options and leave us feedback. And stay tuned for more!

Posted by Nundu Janakiram, Product Manager, and Patrick Riley, Software Engineer

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