Google has apologised after a racially offensive image of US First Lady Michelle Obama became the top image in a search on her name. But how do such images get so high on the list?
The complaint re Michelle Obama's pic was that it came up first (see above quote). The racists who posted it knew how to use Google to get a prominent place, without Google paying much attention to how its system may be gamed. Which is why Google probably did have an apology to offer.
(The same would apply to the SEO goons who invade good sites like ET, because Google runs a system that can be gamed by them (or Google doesn't make the effort to show them it can't, which produces the same result as far as we're concerned -- still vetting all new accounts here, and disabling between five and ten spammers a day).)
It would seem fair to point out also that chimp features on a black person don't play the same communicational role as on a white -- does that need explaining?
Campaigners who have fought for almost eight years to prevent the 43-year-old computer hacker, who suffers from a form of autism, from being tried in the United States, were dealt a blow today when Home Secretary Alan Johnson refused to block his extradition on medical grounds. Mr McKinnon faces up to 70 years in jail if found guilty of hacking into Pentagon computers soon after the 9/11 terror attacks. While he insists he was simply looking for evidence of UFOs the American authorities have likened him to a terrorist....his lawyer Karen Todner ... said that they had not given up hope and planned to apply for a judicial review within seven days. If the application is successful, the case should be heard within the next few weeks. However, if it fails Ms Todner said they would apply to go before the European Court of Human Rights once again with the new evidence that Mr McKinnon had been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.
Campaigners who have fought for almost eight years to prevent the 43-year-old computer hacker, who suffers from a form of autism, from being tried in the United States, were dealt a blow today when Home Secretary Alan Johnson refused to block his extradition on medical grounds.
Mr McKinnon faces up to 70 years in jail if found guilty of hacking into Pentagon computers soon after the 9/11 terror attacks. While he insists he was simply looking for evidence of UFOs the American authorities have likened him to a terrorist.
...his lawyer Karen Todner ... said that they had not given up hope and planned to apply for a judicial review within seven days. If the application is successful, the case should be heard within the next few weeks.
However, if it fails Ms Todner said they would apply to go before the European Court of Human Rights once again with the new evidence that Mr McKinnon had been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.
Golfer Tiger Woods is in a serious condition after being involved in a car accident in Florida, according to US unconfirmed media reports.The golfer's car reportedly struck a fire hydrant and tree as he pulled out of the driveway of his home. Associated Press news agency, quoting the Florida Highway Patrol, says an inquiry into the crash is under way. Woods, 33, was taken to Health Central Hospital, local reports said, but the hospital has not confirmed this.
Golfer Tiger Woods is in a serious condition after being involved in a car accident in Florida, according to US unconfirmed media reports.
The golfer's car reportedly struck a fire hydrant and tree as he pulled out of the driveway of his home.
Associated Press news agency, quoting the Florida Highway Patrol, says an inquiry into the crash is under way.
Woods, 33, was taken to Health Central Hospital, local reports said, but the hospital has not confirmed this.
Just for the record, let's look at what we know so far about the Tiger Woods car accident that apparently has him in "serious condition" right now. Or, maybe he's fine. Depends on who you ask, I suppose. What do we know so far? Apparently, Woods pulled out of his driveway and hit a fire hydrant and then a tree. Still, no airbags deployed and he was presumably going at modest speed, so... How could he have possibly suffered "serious" injuries from that accident alone? And what "charges" are pending if it was a fender bender with a fire hydrant and a neighborhood tree. Not to go all CONSPIRACY theorist on you, but it just doesn't make sense. Or, if he did suffer the injuries in the accident, how could it possibly have happened with him sober and coherent? It is pretty damn difficult to hit a fire hydrant and THEN hit a tree on a different person's property. Although if you're drunk or otherwise impaired, it's much easier.
Just for the record, let's look at what we know so far about the Tiger Woods car accident that apparently has him in "serious condition" right now. Or, maybe he's fine. Depends on who you ask, I suppose. What do we know so far?
Apparently, Woods pulled out of his driveway and hit a fire hydrant and then a tree. Still, no airbags deployed and he was presumably going at modest speed, so... How could he have possibly suffered "serious" injuries from that accident alone? And what "charges" are pending if it was a fender bender with a fire hydrant and a neighborhood tree. Not to go all CONSPIRACY theorist on you, but it just doesn't make sense.
Or, if he did suffer the injuries in the accident, how could it possibly have happened with him sober and coherent? It is pretty damn difficult to hit a fire hydrant and THEN hit a tree on a different person's property. Although if you're drunk or otherwise impaired, it's much easier.
Reporting from Sacramento - The Internal Revenue Service has filed a federal tax lien against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for nearly $80,000, public records show. The lien was filed May 11 at the Los Angeles County recorder's office for $79,064, according to a record in an electronic database that includes lien filings. The record lists the debtor as Arnold Schwarzenegger and the address as the governor's home address in Brentwood. The matter apparently is related to "a minor paperwork tracking discrepancy," Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said in a statement released Friday afternoon. He said Schwarzenegger is resubmitting information to the IRS and expects the lien to be expunged without penalty. The lien was first reported Friday by TMZ.com, which posted a copy of a lien document that says it is from the county recorder's office. That document shows that Schwarzenegger owes $39,047.20 from 2004 and $40,016.80 from 2005. The document also lists a section of the IRS code that suggests the debt may be penalties for a failure to report certain business transactions.
The matter apparently is related to "a minor paperwork tracking discrepancy," Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said in a statement released Friday afternoon. He said Schwarzenegger is resubmitting information to the IRS and expects the lien to be expunged without penalty.
The lien was first reported Friday by TMZ.com, which posted a copy of a lien document that says it is from the county recorder's office. That document shows that Schwarzenegger owes $39,047.20 from 2004 and $40,016.80 from 2005. The document also lists a section of the IRS code that suggests the debt may be penalties for a failure to report certain business transactions.
"Pulp Fiction" co-screenwriter Roger Avary is behind bars at the Ventura County Jail today -- several days after what is believed to be the writer/director's tweeting revealed that he was serving his sentence for a fatal car crash in a furlough program rather than in jail. In September, Avary was sentenced to a year in jail for causing a car crash in Ojai that killed a passenger and injured Avary's wife. Earlier this week, Times technology blogger Mark Milian discovered some tweets coming from @avary and speculated over whether Avary was tweeting from jail. But Avary wasn't in jail. Rather, he was serving his time in a Ventura County work furlough program, which allows him to go to his job during the day. He reports back to the furlough facility -- a modified former Air Force barracks at Camarillo Airport -- at night and on weekends. It's unclear when officials decided to allow Avary to enter the furlough program, or how that decision was reached. It is also unknown where the screenwriter spent his days, but inmates in the program are not allowed to work at home. Today, however, officials said Avary is in full-time custody. He reported to the Ventura County Jail for incarceration on Thanksgiving Day for "security issues," said Sheriff spokesman Ross Bonfiglio.
Earlier this week, Times technology blogger Mark Milian discovered some tweets coming from @avary and speculated over whether Avary was tweeting from jail. But Avary wasn't in jail. Rather, he was serving his time in a Ventura County work furlough program, which allows him to go to his job during the day. He reports back to the furlough facility -- a modified former Air Force barracks at Camarillo Airport -- at night and on weekends.
It's unclear when officials decided to allow Avary to enter the furlough program, or how that decision was reached. It is also unknown where the screenwriter spent his days, but inmates in the program are not allowed to work at home. Today, however, officials said Avary is in full-time custody. He reported to the Ventura County Jail for incarceration on Thanksgiving Day for "security issues," said Sheriff spokesman Ross Bonfiglio.
Would those "security issues" involve the security of the re-election prospects of the Ventura County Sherrif? As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
