Society

Always looking for an idea that will generate a much needed income stream , combined with my unabated fascination by technology, and my insatiable curiosity about various problem domains, I decided to look at linguistics as a tool to help generate content.

So I downloaded and installed the nltk package from nltk.org . I did install it on Google AppEngine account together with DJango. I had a few minor technical difficulties to overcome, but it all ended working well.

I decided to test the nltk package with an analysis of the State of the Union addresses over the years. I wanted to explore what were the dominant words used by the various presidents during their various addresses. The objective was to do a word frequency count and to compare the top words use in each address.

I like Google. I use many of Google services often and have been very satisfied with them.

ZuNOB has, till now, been using the AdSense service provided by Google. I think that, with this service, as from the 8th of April, 2009, Google is overstepping the boundaries characterised by their usual good, or even excellent, business and Internet behaviour.

Google bought DoubleClick and is now going to be using the facilities afforded by this acquisition. The net result of this is that users or visitors to a site displaying adverts by Google will be subject to some tracking by Google. This is a real threat to a user's right to his or her privacy.

Here is a Google e-mail addressed to this webmaster as AdSense space provider:

How to choose the right financial advisor in turbulent times? Here is, hopefully, a useful answer to this vexing question.

Choosing a financial advisor in these times of financial meltdown is something that more and more people feel inclined to do given the seeming complexities of the financial and economic events currently experienced. This is not an easy task and I will try to help those that are faced with this ominous choice and relieve the frustration that is often experienced.

McDonald's raises prices 'in poorer suburbs'.

McDonald's is the Scrooge of hamburger chains. "Kick them whilst they are down", could be their motto.

Ronald McDonald's gives kids a trinket, at a "discounted" price, whilst he takes the food out of their mouths.

From various media outlets around Australia (AAP, Streetcorner.com.au, AFN-Food for Thought, Daniel Palmer), my comments in bold.
-The managing director of McDonald', Catriona Noble, is reported as saying that, to justify the appalling recommendation:

That some form of fiscal stimulus is now required is without a doubt to anyone that understands the situation. That any of this money should go to banks and other financial institutions that are the cause of the crisis experienced by most of us, if not yet then soon, is, in my opinion, outrageous. Outrageous in that it recompenses, or at least supports the very instigators of the catastrophe and gives them another opportunity of skimming as has already been demonstrated.

Senior executive officers of banks, and of some financial institutions, those that were in a position to affect strategies and business practices, should be vigorously pursued in criminal court and their assets confiscated. There should be no bailout of banks. The net value of assets confiscation should be used towards any bail-out of firms and individual who have been or are suffering, due to the nefarious activities of the operators.