Toronto Star Denies Hacking Rob Ford's Wikipedia Page

Toronto City Councillor and mayoral candidate Rob Ford's in the news. He's apparently at the center of a Wikipedia "contributor" hacking allegations scandal. Ford's Wikipedia page was fixed so that readers who clicked his campaign link were sent to satirical site instead. An alert reader noticed, and checked who last edited Ford's entry, and traced the IP back to the Toronto Star. I probably wouldn't have even noticed, but Kathy Shaidle links to her hubby Blazing Cat Fur, "Toronto Star Linked To "Edits" of Rob Ford Wikipedia Page." And see also Toronto Sun, "Toronto Star Denies Ford Wikipedia Change":

The anonymous poster who traced a Wikipedia edit on Rob Ford to the Toronto Star’s corporate parent says he was just trying to get himself up to speed on the civic election.

“I was reading through some of the Wikipedia entries on the candidates because I wanted to get informed about the election,” ES, who didn’t want his name used, said in an interview.

The Star denied the IP address that made the edit is associated to the newspaper.

ES said he was surfing about on Aug. 5 when he noticed a link on mayoral candidate Rob Ford’s Wikipedia entry, purporting to be “Rob Ford’s Personal Blog,” was actually a satirical website.

“It was basically set up to make fun of him,” ES said.

“It is supposed to be official links related to Rob Ford,” he said. “If you look at other people’s Wiki pages, it generally doesn’t list satire pages as official blog sites. It kind of struck a red flag for me. I was a little concerned because I don’t want to see that for any candidate.”

ES deleted the link, only the second time he’s ever contributed to a Wikipedia article and then checked the history of who had added it to find the IP address. A check of that address showed it was related to the Star, although a spokesman for the newspaper denied any involvement.

“It is inaccurate, these allegations that we are editing Rob Ford’s Wikipedia page,” Bob Hepburn said.

Instead, Hepburn said the address is used by several other publications owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd., including Sing Tao, Metro and the Metroland newspapers.

“We’re trying to track it down, where specifically it came from,” Hepburn said. “It may be impossible given the number of publications.

“We don’t have a policy that firm but we would frown heavily on people going in and changing things in Wikipedia,” he said.

Wikipedia describes itself as “the free dictionary that anyone can edit.” But while it’s assembled from largely anonymous contributors, every edit can be tracked on the site.

There's a history there, it turns out. Ford plans to sue the Star for stories published earlier.

But be sure to check Blazing's post.

NewsBusted — Obama Endorses Ground Zero Mosque

Via Theo Spark:

'The Center of Interactive Media — Increasingly, the Center of Gravity of All Media — Is Moving to a Post-HTML Environment'

At Wired:

You wake up and check your email on your bedside iPad — that’s one app. During breakfast you browse Facebook, Twitter, and The New York Times — three more apps. On the way to the office, you listen to a podcast on your smartphone. Another app. At work, you scroll through RSS feeds in a reader and have Skype and IM conversations. More apps. At the end of the day, you come home, make dinner while listening to Pandora, play some games on Xbox Live, and watch a movie on Netflix’s streaming service.

You’ve spent the day on the Internet — but not on the Web. And you are not alone.

This is not a trivial distinction. Over the past few years, one of the most important shifts in the digital world has been the move from the wide-open Web to semiclosed platforms that use the Internet for transport but not the browser for display. It’s driven primarily by the rise of the iPhone model of mobile computing, and it’s a world Google can’t crawl, one where HTML doesn’t rule. And it’s the world that consumers are increasingly choosing, not because they’re rejecting the idea of the Web but because these dedicated platforms often just work better or fit better into their lives (the screen comes to them, they don’t have to go to the screen). The fact that it’s easier for companies to make money on these platforms only cements the trend. Producers and consumers agree: The Web is not the culmination of the digital revolution.

A decade ago, the ascent of the Web browser as the center of the computing world appeared inevitable. It seemed just a matter of time before the Web replaced PC application software and reduced operating systems to a “poorly debugged set of device drivers,” as Netscape cofounder Marc Andreessen famously said. First Java, then Flash, then Ajax, then HTML5 — increasingly interactive online code — promised to put all apps in the cloud and replace the desktop with the webtop. Open, free, and out of control.

But there has always been an alternative path, one that saw the Web as a worthy tool but not the whole toolkit. In 1997, Wired published a now-infamous “Push!” cover story, which suggested that it was time to “kiss your browser goodbye.” The argument then was that “push” technologies such as PointCast and Microsoft’s Active Desktop would create a “radical future of media beyond the Web.”

“Sure, we’ll always have Web pages. We still have postcards and telegrams, don’t we? But the center of interactive media — increasingly, the center of gravity of all media — is moving to a post-HTML environment,” we promised nearly a decade and half ago. The examples of the time were a bit silly — a “3-D furry-muckers VR space” and “headlines sent to a pager” — but the point was altogether prescient: a glimpse of the machine-to-machine future that would be less about browsing and more about getting.

Actually, there's some debate on this as well.

House Republican Conference — 'Working For You'

From the GOP Congressional Caucus:

'Israel Is a Bulwark. If Israel Wasn't There You Have No Idea How Much Evil Would Be Unleashed On the World'

That's a key quote from Pamela's lecture last night. She actually prefaced that by saying "You have no idea how much terrorism Israel absorbs" from the Middle East, thus providing the West with a bit of under-appreciated inoculation from Jihad. This was an extremely interesting point. I was really impressed with Robert Spencer's profound knowledge on the issues as well.

David Swindle has more at NewsReal Blog.

RELATED: "Preserving Our Freedoms."

Preserving Our Freedoms

Both AoSHQ and R.S. McCain have this posted:

Today's my long day at the college (Tuesdays and Thursdays during the semester). Posting will be light. I'm thinking about last night's lecture and book signing with Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer. I need to write down some thoughts about it, but if you get the chance to hear them speak don't miss it. Folks who want to preserve liberty can't be shy in proclaiming the majesty of our nation. You get that and more from Pamela Geller. She's a patriot of the first order. My batteries were recharged big time. And my thinking was clarified too. We have a purpose as Americans, as part of our citizenship, to give back to the country. There are responsibilities to uphold. Pamela reminded people not to lose hope. She urged people to get involved in their communities. She pointed out that as the tea parties grew last year the despicable "racist" attacks on them escalated, but they just keep getting bigger. The tea parties are not our salvation. They are the sign that Americans haven't lost the determination to resist tyranny. The beauty of this country is in its founding principles opposing tyranny. We're in a tyrannical era of progressive rule. It's not even a soft tyranny, in the sense that the damage to our nation will take great time and effort to undo. The ramifications are not just national but global, with this president being the first in history who's using global institutions to suppress the rights of Americans. It was Robert Spencer who spoke of this last night, and he's noted this at Jihad Watch previously (see, "Obama Declares War on Free Speech"):

The Obama Administration has now actually co-sponsored an anti-free speech resolution at the United Nations. Approved by the U.N. Human Rights Council last Friday, the resolution, cosponsored by the U.S. and Egypt, calls on states to condemn and criminalize "any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence" ...

Now no less distinguished a personage than the President of the United States has given his imprimatur to this tyranny; the implications are grave. The resolution also condemns "negative stereotyping of religions and racial groups," which is of course an oblique reference to accurate reporting about the jihad doctrine and Islamic supremacism -- for that, not actual negative stereotyping or hateful language, is always the focus of whining by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and allied groups. They never say anything when people like Osama bin Laden and Khaled Sheikh Mohammed issue detailed Koranic expositions justifying violence and hatred; but when people like Geert Wilders and others report about such expositions, that's "negative stereotyping"...

So go back and listen to Ronald Reagan once more above.

I'll have more on all of this tonight.

Pamela Geller Book Signing!

I was surprised to see Robert Stacy McCain out in front of the Skirball Center when I arrived at 7:00pm. Almost soon as we went inside we were posing for photos with Pamela Geller.

I also spoke with Robert Spencer, and both Pamela and Robert signed my book. I was also pleased to meet Dave Swindle, who is Associate Editor at FrontPage Magazine and Managing Editor of NewsReal Blog. Extra bonus was seeing my good friend Opus #6 . We talked while I waited to have the authors sign my book.

I'll have some substantive comments on the full lecture when I have more time. Meanwhile, Robert's got more pictures, "Pamela Geller Goes Hollywood."

'A Film Unfinished'

Opens Friday in Los Angeles. I should be able to make it. And from LAT:

Four years ago, Yael Hersonski was struck by an unthinkable concept: In the foreseeable future, there would be no Holocaust survivors left to bear witness to the atrocities they once experienced. So the Israeli filmmaker set out to find the kind of unforgettable footage she might cinematically use to help keep this horrific chapter of history alive. What Hersonski uncovered, with an assist from producer Noemi Schory, was a 62-minute, 35-millimeter rough cut of a never-released 1942 Nazi propaganda film simply labeled "Das Ghetto."

The film, discovered by Schory in a Jerusalem Holocaust museum but first unearthed in an East German film archive in 1954, was particularly curious as it was apparently abandoned after it was shot without evidence of who was behind it, its exact purpose or why it was never completed. More remarkable was the fact that it even still existed, given that a reported 90% of film footage shot by the Nazis was destroyed at the end of World War II. But this one, lost and recovered several times through the decades, had already been examined in the years following the war, its footage thought to be a starkly real depiction of life inside the Warsaw Ghetto, the largest of the Jewish ghettos established by the Nazis in occupied Poland.

It was one of many such films produced by the Third Reich to promulgate its policies, help gain and maintain power, vilify the Jews and, in some segments, portray Jews seemingly living the high life under the Nazis' "compassionate" protection.

But what Hersonski came across as she watched four unfolding reels of emaciated captives, corpse-strewn streets and even scenes of the Jewish elite attending posh Champagne balls, was a staggering fifth reel of outtakes that had been discovered in 1998 by a British researcher. In those images could be seen entire scenes being reshot, cameramen in the background and signs of staging. It was proof that the film, while capturing some genuine suffering, was being manipulated by SS cameramen.

This soundtrack-free assemblage so inspired the director it would wind up as the centerpiece of her own unique and gripping Holocaust documentary, "A Film Unfinished," which opens in Los Angeles theaters Friday.

RTWT.

The film's official homepage is here.

Heading Out to L.A. Book Signing for The Post-American Presidency

L.A readers!

Are ya'll in?

See you out there tonight at Skirball Center for the book signing! The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America:

China Passes Japan as Second-Largest Economy

This is really interesting, since I was discussing balance of power and changes in the world economy today while introducing my World Politics course. At NYT:

After three decades of spectacular growth, China passed Japan in the second quarter to become the world’s second-largest economy behind the United States, according to government figures released early Monday.

The milestone, though anticipated for some time, is the most striking evidence yet that China’s ascendance is for real and that the rest of the world will have to reckon with a new economic superpower.

The recognition came early Monday, when Tokyo said that Japan’s economy was valued at about $1.28 trillion in the second quarter, slightly below China’s $1.33 trillion. Japan’s economy grew 0.4 percent in the quarter, Tokyo said, substantially less than forecast. That weakness suggests that China’s economy will race past Japan’s for the full year.

Experts say unseating Japan — and in recent years passing Germany, France and Great Britain — underscores China’s growing clout and bolsters forecasts that China will pass the United States as the world’s biggest economy as early as 2030. America’s gross domestic product was about $14 trillion in 2009.

“This has enormous significance,” said Nicholas R. Lardy, an economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “It reconfirms what’s been happening for the better part of a decade: China has been eclipsing Japan economically. For everyone in China’s region, they’re now the biggest trading partner rather than the U.S. or Japan.”

For Japan, whose economy has been stagnating for more than a decade, the figures reflect a decline in economic and political power. Japan has had the world’s second-largest economy for much of the last four decades, according to the World Bank. And during the 1980s, there was even talk about Japan’s economy some day overtaking that of the United States.

But while Japan’s economy is mature and its population quickly aging, China is in the throes of urbanization and is far from developed, analysts say, meaning it has a much lower standard of living, as well as a lot more room to grow. Just five years ago, China’s gross domestic product was about $2.3 trillion, about half of Japan’s.

No time for a discussion, but I'll come back to this topic in upcoming days. (What are some of the broader strategic implications especially?)

Academic Bankruptcy

Saw this over the weekend, and Glenn Reynolds is now linking as well. From Mark Taylor:

WITH the academic year about to begin, colleges and universities, as well as students and their parents, are facing an unprecedented financial crisis. What we’ve seen with California’s distinguished state university system — huge cutbacks in spending and a 32 percent rise in tuition — is likely to become the norm at public and private colleges. Government support is being slashed, endowments and charitable giving are down, debts are piling up, expenses are rising and some schools are selling their product for two-thirds of what it costs to produce it. You don’t need an M.B.A. to know this situation is unsustainable.

More specific examples at the article, and the call for reform.

Muslim Leaders to Abandon Victory Mosque at Ground Zero — Not

It's the big story this afternoon, but a bogus rumor actually. Via Reuters, "New York Muslim Center Backers Vow to Push Ahead":

Backers of a Muslim cultural center and mosque near the site of the World Trade Center vowed on Monday to press ahead with plans despite a report they will scrap the $100 million project, which has drawn fierce debate.

Sharif El-Gamal, the owner of the building where the Cordoba House would be located, said a report that the center would be relocated further from Ground Zero, reported in Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Monday, was false.

"Everything is on track and we are moving forward with the location," said El-Gamal, chief executive of Soho Properties, which owns the building.

Haaretz reported that leaders agreed to abandon the site to prevent an escalation of anti-Muslim sentiment.

The proposal, announced this spring, has caused an uproar among many New Yorkers, who feel the location of the center is insensitive to the memory of the nearly 3,000 people who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

President Obama weighed in on the issue during the White House's annual dinner marking the start of Ramadan on Friday.

"Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country," Obama said. "That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances."

Obama later tried to distance himself from the controversy and refused to "comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there." Political pundits say the issue will factor into debates ahead of the November mid-term elections.

Close to 60 percent of Americans oppose the plan, although supporters say having the Islamic cultural center is a chance to promote understanding of the religion and begin healing nearly a decade after the attacks.

Also dubunked at Jawa Report.

Center for American Progress, Top 'Progressive' Group, Supports Ground Zero Victory Mosque

At Weasel Zippers:

As a former radical Leftist, I know that this kind of ‘Progressive’ rhetoric is a facade designed to mask their true beliefs. They support building this mosque because it represents a slap in the face to Right-wing opponents of this project and would also be a blow against “Pig AmeriKKKa”

More at the link.

FDA Death Panels

Doug Ross has the news, "Berwick's First Strike: Susan G. Komen Foundation and Ovarian Cancer Alliance Decry First-Ever Medicare Denials of FDA-Approved Cancer Drugs."

Ann Althouse asks if these are "death panels"? And the response:

If Avastin is what stands between you and death, then yes, "Death Panel" is an "appropriate statement" and yes, it is appropriate to cause alarm.

Full disclosure. I have advanced ovarian cancer. Hello friends and relatives.

The statistics for my stage of ovarian cancer (Stage IIIc) project an 18% survival rate two years after diagnosis.

I took part in a clinical trial for Avastin. My provider recently revealed to me that I received the test drug.

I am approaching that two-year mark of initial diagnosis, and so far, I am doing well. I attribute that good result to Avastin, which prevents the regeneration of cancer cells. Yeah, I had some lousy side effects, but it seems to have worked.

Thank you, and good night, Irene.

Obama's Mosque Comments Creates Issue for Dems

One of my first thoughts was that Obama had lost his mind politically. So, at ABC News, "President Obama Adds Issue to Party's Challenge: Democrats Grumbling After Endorsement of Islamic Center Near Ground Zero":

Book Signing! The Post-American Presidency

Tonight!

And both Pamela and Robert will be there. I'm stoked.

Have you read it? I can't imaging a more timely book. The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America.

Dig a Pony

Others are tweeting their favorites from The Beatles. I tweeted back.

The Ugly, Pockmarked, Troop-Hating Face of the Anti-War Left

What a post, from Sister Toldjah at RWN:

Anti-war types like to claim they "support the troops but not the war." I don't think so, not when you consider how what they do almost always has negative, disastrous consequences for the those who volunteered to serve and to, in effect, take a bullet in the battlefield for all us back home in the name of freedom, even the contemptible armchair nitwits who have made it their mission to make their lives a living hell - at the risk of either injury and/or death. So no, these so-called "peace lovers" don't support the troops, and they certainly do not give a rip about "peace." They are the enemy. And I see very little difference in that type of enemy and the in-your-face enemy our troops face on the battlefield.

RTWT.

PREVIOUSLY: "Pfc. Bradley Manning, Atheist Gay Loner, Hailed as Antiwar Hero in Criminal WikiLeaks Case."

For the 9-11 Families

Some deep thoughts on 9/11 and Ground Zero, at the Barricuda Brigade:

Obama eviscerated America's pledge, to the families; of the 9-11 attacks. His endorsement of a "Victory Mosque" at Ground Zero, is beyond unacceptable; it's Treason. The innocent souls lost on that Tuesday, deserve so much better than this. Obama's utter insensitivity to the 9-11 families, is arrogance, gall and terrorism.

Who's a Pirate?

Interesting piece at WSJ, "Who's a Pirate? In Court, A Duel Over Definitions." And I learned something right away. Captain Edward Teach was Blackbeard, and William Teach at Pirate's Cove isn't a Teach at all.

Anyway, read WSJ's essay. We do have modern-day pirate problems:

Prosecuting pirates, rather than hanging them from the yardarm, is the modern world's approach to the scourge of Somali piracy that has turned huge swathes of the Indian Ocean into a no-go zone for commercial vessels.

But there's a problem: Some 2,000 years after Cicero defined pirates as the "common enemy of all," nobody seems able to say, legally, exactly what a pirate is.

U.S. law long ago made piracy a crime but didn't define it. International law contains differing, even contradictory, definitions. The confusion threatens to hamstring U.S. efforts to crack down on modern-day Blackbeards.

The central issue in Norfolk: If you try to waylay and rob a ship at sea—but you don't succeed—are you still a pirate?

It may seem strange there should be doubt about an offense as old as this one. Piracy was the world's first crime with universal jurisdiction, meaning that any country had the right to apprehend pirates on the high seas

And by the way, international relations scholars are on the case. See Bridget Coggins, "The Pirate Den."