Month: August 2014

So now the Lois Lerner emails are not missing?

So now the Lois Lerner emails are not missing?

lois lerner photoIf you have been following me here on this site or on Facebook, you know that I am quite upset about the IRS targeting of groups that disagree with the administration. I honestly believe that the government should NEVER pick sides in politics. When politicians win, it should be a requirement that they cannot use their governmental power to hamper the criticism of them. Remember those Lois Lerner emails that conveniently went missing in a “hard-drive crash”? Judicial Watch, which is suing the Internal Revenue Service under the Freedom of Information Act, says they still exist.

It seems to me that the hijacking of the IRS to suppress grass-roots opposition to the administration in power would qualify as a “government-wide catastrophe,” but I am sure the government would disagree. That notwithstanding, if the backups are “too onerous to search” now, what good would they be in an undisputed catastrophe? One can never rule out incompetence as an explanation, but this does have the feel of a deliberate effort to keep the truth concealed.

From their press release:

Department of Justice attorneys for the Internal Revenue Service told Judicial Watch on Friday that Lois Lerner’s emails, indeed all government computer records, are backed up by the federal government in case of a government-wide catastrophe. The Obama administration attorneys said that this back-up system would be too onerous to search. The DOJ attorneys also acknowledged that the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is investigating this back-up system.

Photo by SuperSleuther

My ALS challenge!

My ALS challenge!

I agree with this man

I agree with this man

Man Frustrated by Ferguson Riots Goes on Legendary Rant: ‘It’s Time For Us to Change’

Following the shooting death of Michael Brown by the police in Ferguson, MO, and the riots that have ensued as a result, here’s Johnathan Gentry’s perspective.

This appears to be the original Facebook post and I want to give a shout out to it as well.

LinkedIn maps are a cool way to visualize big data

LinkedIn maps are a cool way to visualize big data

LinkedIn Maps are a great example of using Big Data processing tools to create a meaningful representation of data. I have labeled my largest clouds. The largest clouds were places that I worked the longest. Also it is interesting that the customer dots tend to be located in the middle since they tend to have connections to a wide variety of software companies. Of course, my alma mater, Rose-Hulman, tends to be interspersed with customers for the same reason.

It is unfortunate that LinkedIn is turning off LinkedIn Maps. Hopefully, they will replace it with something just as cool. From their website:

Sometimes we have to retire tools we love so we can focus our attention and resources on creating even better experiences for our members. We’re currently looking at new ways to help you visualize and gain insights from your professional network. That’s why we’re discontinuing InMaps as of September 1, 2014.

You can continue to download a visual map of your professional network until that date.

 

LinkedIn map

 

Your employer owes you nothing but for you to work hard

Your employer owes you nothing but for you to work hard