Quote:User talk:Bill Huffman

R E T I R E D

This user is no longer active on Wikipedia.

I no longer edit article space or article talk space.

Quote:...In conclusion, you shouldn't be using Wikipedia as part of your personal feud with someone. You're fortunate (arguably) that you were't banned for using an unauthorized sock account and for being evasive when asked to come clean about it. So, stay away from the Derek Smart article and don't do anything further on Wikipedia which appears to be aimed at carrying on your personal battle with the guy.

Quote:Bill, your participation on the arbcom case is not helping. Based on your past experience with Cla68, it has the appearance of a petty grudge match, with Wikipedia:Harassment as your goal. Please take a step back and think about this.

Bad news for internet stalker George Gollin (George D. Gollin, George Dana Gollin). No longer can he go around impersonating innocent people on the internet in an attempt to intimidate, threaten or harass them into silence.

Gollin has made a practice of impersonating others he guesses may have posted articles containing true facts about him and his nefarious conduct on the internet. A new California law now makes it a misdemeanor to impersonate someone on a website to "harm, intimidate, threaten or defraud another person." It also provides for a civil remedy in addition to the criminal sanction (a fine and up to a year in jail).

Such activities are already a third degree felony in Texas. Something for George Gollin to think about when he uses that Texas-based proxy server.

George Gollin is a public figure who--by his own admission in court documents--has been acting on behalf of the government of the State of Illinois. The people he impersonates, on the other hand, are neither. The negative public commentary about Gollin and his sordid (and well-documented) conduct is well within the ambit of constitutionally protected speech. Gollin’s impersonations, on the other hand, serve no legitimate government purpose and very clearly demonstrate his intention is to force his detractors to quit telling the truth about him under threat of even more of his vicious, hateful lies.

In addition to threatening and intimidating others, in engaging in this conduct government-agent Gollin is also attempting to deny people protesting his vile behavior their constitutionally protected civil right of free speech, in violation of 42 USC 1983. If one is looking for the required “harm” under the new statute it doesn’t get any clearer than this.

Let’s hope that anyone who resides in California that finds themselves victims of the psycho-stalking piece of malicious cyber-crud George Gollin will pursue their legal remedies against him and the State of Illinois to the fullest.

Quote:Online Degrees for High-Earning Jobs Straight Out of College

Ten out of ten of the highest-earning jobs for recent graduates can be obtained with online degrees. This is important information for many people who toil in jobs they don’t like out of fear of starting over; they may discover that degree programs in business, information technology or nursing could lead to a more fulfilling job that will provide a decent wage right away.

Here are ten of the highest-earning jobs for recent college graduates. (All salary numbers are courtesy of Indeed.com.)

10. Nursing

Between aging Baby Boomers and an exploding population, nurses are in higher demand than ever before. They are also well-paid from the start: depending on where they are based and what specialty they choose, new nurses can expect to earn $47,000 per year after completing an online nursing degree.

9. Web Design

An online degree program in IT will prepare students for a few careers that make the high-earning jobs list. Web designers continue to be in high demand as more and more businesses take to the Internet to build a future for their companies. Entry-level Web designers with an online degree in information technology can expect to earn around $58,000, depending on where they are based and what specialties they choose.

8. Pharmaceutical Representative

Pharmaceutical representatives are in a tough business that requires a great deal of knowledge and tenacity to succeed. It also requires a great deal of business travel, which is ideal for those who desire to get away from the office. While this career demands some medical knowledge, new pharmaceutical reps can expect to earn around $59,000 after earning an online business degree.

7. Financial Analyst

Many financial analysts will eventually pursue an MBA program, but there are still plenty of opportunities for people starting out in the work force with an online BS in business. Entry-level financial analysts can expect to earn upwards of $66,000, depending on location and specialty.

6. Internet Marketer

Internet marketing has become a massive and complex field, and even entry-level graduates with an online IT degree can make a good living from it. New internet marketers who pursue employment with an established company can expect to earn between $43,000 and $67,000 starting out.

5. Network Systems Administrator

As with the other IT-based jobs on this list, network systems administrators will continue to be in high demand for a long time to come. It is also a job that comes with a great deal of responsibility: businesses depend on their computing networks like never before and rely on network admins to keep their entire companies functional. For this reason, even entry-level network admins can expect to earn around $69,000.

4. Engineer

Engineering, like many of the other jobs on this list, is a highly variable field. Engineers may work in a wide range of capacities and specialize in many different sub-sets, each of which require a great deal of technical skill and know-how. However, entry level engineers—even those with an online degree—can expect to earn around $72,000 in their first year.

3. Actuary

Actuaries comprise a high-earning group that is depended on by insurance companies to provide information on business finance, statistics, economics and other number-crunching particulars. Thanks to the high level of technical expertise, even new actuaries can expect to earn in the neighborhood of $79,000 after completing an online business degree.

2. Software Developer

Talented software developers continue to be in high demand as the world turns to computing to solve more and more of its problems. An online degree in information technology prepares students to create the software of tomorrow, and entry-level programmers may make $84,000 in their first year. And with many employers allowing programmers to take advantage of telecommuting or flex-scheduling, it is an appealing option for many.

1. Investment Banker

Investment bankers can make a high-dollar wage immediately out of school provided they have the tenacity and competitive spirit that is necessary to be a success in this field. New investment bankers can expect to earn upwards of $112,000 in their first year after completing an online business degree. Even associates in this field can earn around $77,000—a big boon for new graduates.

Online classes allow students to follow their dreams into a new career, and as this post demonstrates, many of them can make ample wages from the very beginning. With online university tuition at a significantly lower cost than traditional campus-based universities, more people than ever before are taking advantage of online degrees to further their educations and build new futures.

Quote:Got Online Classes? Don't Buy Textbooks -- Rent Them Instead, Part I

If you're taking online classes, we don't have to tell you that the cost of online degree programs can be quite daunting. If you're receiving financial aid and have all of your expenses covered -- great! If not, you know that the total cost of college textbooks can come as quite a shock at the bookstore checkout counter.

According to CollegeBoard.com, the average cost of books at "four-year public colleges in 2010-11 is $1,137." That's a pretty healthy chunk of change on top of tuition, fees, parking, and other college-related expenses.

Rent Books Instead

Did you know that you can actually rent your textbooks? Unless you want to keep your books, there is absolutely no reason to spend several thousand dollars each year buying them. Although colleges offer buy-back incentives at the end of the semester, you will only be offered a fraction of what you originally paid for the book.

Now, you may want to keep textbooks that are related to your major field of study. For instance, you may want to keep your accounting textbooks or your college punctuation and grammar handbooks for future reference. However, unless you're planning a career teaching history, you'd be better off to rent those books instead.

The cost of online degree textbooks and materials may dissuade some individuals from taking the first step toward pursuing a degree. If you can relate to this scenario, book rentals may be your best option.

When you rent textbooks, you simply order the books online from one of the textbook rental companies and they send them to you. At the end of the semester, you return the books with the postage-free label provided to you. It's that simple

Textbook Rental Companies

It's easy to find textbook rental companies online, but here are some of the most popular websites that provide this service for you:

Chegg.com -- Chegg.com is probably the most popular textbook rental site on the Web, and they also promise to plant a tree for every textbook rented. Chegg.com also offers a 30-day return guarantee if you order a book that you do not need. The only drawback is that if you've ordered a book by mistake, they will not pay the shipping.

Chegg.com also offers a shipping guarantee. They guarantee that you will receive your book by the date on your order confirmation. Additionally, they offer a guarantee of book quality and ask that users take good care of the books, limiting the amount of highlighting and wear and tear. Finally, they "make every effort" to include supplemental materials (CDs, DVDs, etc.), but this is not an iron-clad guarantee.

Chegg.com provides a simple process, as outlined on their website:

1. Rent Them

2. Get Them

3. Return Them

Additionally, Chegg.com will buy your textbooks using this three-part process:

1. Get a Quote for your textbooks

2. Ship Books free via UPS shipping

3. Get Paid upon receipt of books

Compare Prices before You Buy or Rent Books

Before you subscribe to any book exchange, be sure to compare prices. Shop around a little to see which company offers the best services for the price.

Regardless of whether you attend classes in a traditional setting or are pursuing a distance degree, do your best to cut costs wherever possible. In Part 2 of this series, we'll review more book rental services.

Quote:Got Online Classes? Don't Buy Textbooks -- Rent Them Instead, Part II

Online classes are a great convenience, but what do you do when you need to buy your books? You probably opted for a distance degree because you don't want to leave the comfort of your home to attend college, or perhaps you live too far away to make the trip a feasible option. No worries. You can reduce the cost of online degree programs by renting your textbooks instead.

In Part I of this series, we discussed the advantages of textbook rentals and reviewed Chegg.com. In Part II, we'll review three more textbook rental sites for you.

Online Book Rental Companies

CollegeBookRenter.com -- CollegeBookRenter.com provides "cheap" textbooks "because college is expensive enough." They will also allow you to order your textbooks early and keep them late. According to their website, "All orders placed now through January 11, 2011 will automatically receive an extended due date of May 20, 2011 at no additional charge and FREE premium ground shipping."

CollegeBookRenter.com claims to rent textbooks at 85% off college bookstore prices. Once you order your textbooks, they will ship them to you. Once you're ready to return them, you simply print a postage-paid return label. Additionally, if you have some books you'd like to get rid of, CollegeBookRenter.com may purchase them from you.

BarnesandNoble.com -- BarnesandNoble.com allows you to choose the amount of time of your textbook rental, with 60, 90, and 120-day rental periods. Additionally, you may extend your rental, if necessary, up to 125 days.

BarnesandNoble.com stresses the care of rental textbooks and may charge you the full retail price of the book should you return it with excessive highlighting or other apparent damage to the book. They have a 21-day return policy but will grant an automatic 15-day extension if you do not meet the deadline. However, after the 15-day extension, you will be charged the full rental price of the book if it is not returned.

BookRenter.com -- BookRenter.com claims to offer a 75% savings on their textbook rentals when compared to bookstore prices. Additionally, they allow students to write or highlight in the books, which may be ideal for students who study more efficiently by taking notes in the margins or highlighting text. Like other textbook rental companies, they ship the books quickly and provide free return service once you're finished with your books. They also donate one book for each book rented to a program called First Book, which donates books to children in need.

Why Buy When You Can Rent?
There's no doubt about it; attending college is expensive, but there are ways to cut costs. Renting textbooks is just one way to save hundreds of dollars each semester and thousands of dollars over the course of your college education. If the cost of a college education is holding you back from making that first step forward, consider renting your textbooks and other money-saving options that will make your college education more affordable.

Old news in a new wrapper. But you can't tell the truth about a public menace too often.

Quote:George Gollin Gay Pornography Link: "I was going to fuck them."

A University of Illinois science teacher has been linked to a notorious internet pedophile-pandering pornographer.

George Gollin (George D. Gollin, George Dana Gollin) has been a frequent poster on one of pornographer Thomas "Chip" White's websites. Hiding behind the alias "galanga," George Gollin has made over 1,280 posts on the gay boy pornographer's discussion forums.

In a recent interview George Gollin stated, "I was going to fuck them."

George Gollin, who claims to be an expert in college accreditation issues despite having no education, experience or apparent knowledge in the topic, has a history of lawless, anti-social behavior. George Gollin has been caught impersonating federal agents, posting other peoples' social security numbers on his website, and even made death threats against people who exposed his scurrilous activities.

George Gollin recently was sued in federal court for slander and extortion for his role in an alleged Liberian shakedown scheme, forcing Illinois taxpayers to pay lawyers over $58,000 in legal fees in his defense.

When his employer ordered George Gollin to remove offensive materials from his website, Gollin immediately arranged for his partner, gay Oregon bureaucrat Alan Contreras to re-post it. A court has ruled that Contreras is a civil rights violator and anti-Christian bigot, a ruling Contreras did not challenge on appeal.

George Gollin's lesbian daughter exposed her family's sordid private activities in her public blogs. She listens to what she describes as "the suck my dick fuck my ass song" with her father George Gollin. She also revealed that she shares chocolate vaginas with her mother, college administrator Melanie Loots, who refers to Catholics as 'dirty Papists.' Loots was cited by the FDA for illegally selling 386 mutant lab pigs to the public for food.

George Gollin also admitted that the dissertation he submitted to receive his college degree was in fact an improper collaboration authored by 15 other people, in apparent contravention of school policy expressly requiring such projects to be a student's individual work.

I think there should be one. Seems that there are a number of very intelligent people here and I think we can have some lively debates here!

And no, I am not talking in defense of diploma mills here.

You may be wondering why I am posting a commentary with this title.

And lets face it, unaccredited institutions of higher learning get little respect these days.

We are constantly shown stories about how people who have “fraudulent” or “fake” degrees are being disciplined for one thing or another. Very often these are people in public sector jobs who are under fire for spending public money in pursuit of their education.

We are even seeing examples of states, such as Oregon which are attempting to make it a crime to claim education at such institutions on applications for employment (public or private), or resumes.

But I think its about time we all sit down and ask ourselves why this is?

When I talk about Unaccredited Universities, I am not referring to Diploma Mills, which are fake institutions which will sell degrees for money only and require little if any actual work. I would not myself “buy” a degree, nor would I advise others to do so.

Rather I would refer to institutions which, for one reason or other does not chose to be associated with accreditation bodies.

Can it really be said that unaccredited degrees are of any value? The answer is hard to say. For some, institutions which are not accredited do require considerable work to earn degrees. They may even be well recognized in certain fields. Some schools offer degrees in controversial or unproven fields of study such as herbal medicine. This does not mean that students who attend these schools are not actually working towards degrees.

We need to remember that Taliesin, the school and studio founded by Frank Lloyd Wright was not accredited. The same is true with a great many schools.

Many religious institutions shun accreditation due to religious reasons as well.

I believe that it is important for schools to maintain a spirit of independence and by avoiding accreditation many can pursue their own mission in their own way.

The lack of freedom and the enforced conformity which the accreditation cabal wants all students to follow can be harmful to academic freedom and individual liberty. We are seeing, through the many laws regulation academia, an increase in the suppression of freedom.

It is true that many people may misuse their freedom and apply for positions they are not qualified for. But should this be the responsibility of the state to determine who is qualified for a particular job, or should it be with the employer.

I think many should be reminded that it was once possible for an individual to become a lawyer without attending law school. Abraham Lincoln never had a Doctor of Jurisprudence, nor did Clarence Darrow or many other lawyers. In fact its still possible today to take the Bar exam in California without having attended law school.

So why do people attend non-traditional and non-accredited schools?
The reasons are many but here are a few:
1 Cost: Cost is less for a lot of students, since accreditation requires considerable overhead to maintain standards.
2 Convince: Many non-accredited universities operate Distance Learning programs which allow students to study on their own time and at their own pace.
3 Programs available: Many controversial programs are offered in unaccredited programs which could not otherwise be offered. Herbal medicine is just one example.
4 Liberal admission standards. Consider that many students, particularly those outside of the US are unable to be admitted in local schools and cannot get entry visas into the United States, non-traditional schools are ofter what is needed.

I can continue but this is a short list of why unaccredited institutions are really needed.

Judging by the tone of Elmer's comments a week before Christmas, he was feeling the spirit of the season. Typical DesElms pompous b.s.

DesElms post at addictivetips.com

The Wizard of Oz is an old guy with white hair who lives in a lush, expensive home, operates his own personal university, and hands out life long learning degrees to all comers.

Sounds a lot like another diploma mill operator we know, doesn't it?

"Why anybody can have a brain. That's a very mediocre commodity. Back where I come from, we have great universities--seats of great learning--where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out they think deep thoughts, and with no more brains than you have. But they have one thing you haven't got: a diploma! Therefore by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Universitatis Commititatum E Pluribus Unum, I hereby confer upon you the honorary degree of Th.D. That's, uh, er, ah, Doctor of Thinkology."
- The Wizard of Oz

You can also find this quote in "Bears Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning" by John Bear.

No rules, no standards, no charges. Berkley and Almeda degree holders "wrongly tied" to SRU.

Hey Washington, you have state patrols with no rules and no standards, you give guys raises for fake degrees, you pay them not to work for ten months during the investigation, your admins bad mouth them in the press to cover their own incompetence, and now you are going to end up paying them to go away. More of your tax dollars down the drain. Maybe Zurlini could look into this and write a book.

Quote:Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Troopers busted with suspect diplomas sue state
Five troopers suspended without pay for 3-10 days claim they were defamed

By LEVI PULKKINEN
SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Five state troopers investigated and disciplined for using bogus college diplomas to gain pay raises have sued the state, claiming they were defamed.

Filing a lawsuit earlier this month in King County Superior Court, the State Patrol troopers claim their reputations were stained in 2008 when the patrol released details of a probe into allegations that they had obtained bunk college degrees to gain pay raises.

In the suit, the troopers -- Bryan Ensley, Daniel Mann, Gabriel Olson, Dennis Tardiff and Spike Unruh -- each claim to hold degrees from Internet-based colleges that award credit based on "life experience."

Niether [sic] school is accredited by any body recognized by the federal Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the two organizations on which the patrol now relies to determine if a degree is valid.

The patrol launched an audit of personnel records in May 2008 after it came to light that a Spokane diploma mill selling counterfeit degrees and transcripts counted dozens of government workers among its customers. None of the troopers involved in the suit was a client of the diploma mill; each had, instead, obtained a degree online.

In 2008, nine troopers suspected of using degrees from unaccredited colleges were placed on paid leave while the allegations were investigated by the patrol. No charges were filed and, according to the lawsuit, each of the five troopers who has now sued was briefly suspended without pay.

Speaking Wednesday, State Patrol spokesman Bob Calkins defended the department's actions against the troopers.

"This matter was thoroughly investigated, carefully considered and we think the discipline was appropriate," Calkin said.

Troopers received a 4 percent pay increase for holding a bachelor's degree and an additional 2 percent raise for a master's degree, providing a financial incentive to participate in the programs.

According to the lawsuit, Mann had been receiving educational incentive pay since 1999, when he obtained a bachelor's degree from the University of Berkley -- an online institution unaffiliated with the University of California at Berkeley.

The other four troopers involved in the suit received their degrees from Almeda University -- another online university that, for a fee, also awards degrees based on an applicant's life experience -- and began drawing additional pay in 2006, attorney Aaron D. Bigby told the court.

Bigby, of the Seattle law firm Northcraft, Bigby & Biggs, argued in the civil complaint that the State Patrol had no rules for judging whether a university was properly accredited until after the investigation was launched in 2008.

Bigby recounted a July 2008 e-mail purportedly sent by a State Patrol captain investigating the troopers' educational backgrounds. The captain, Bigby told the court, noted that the State Patrol had "no real standard in place regarding what type of accreditation" is required.

Writing the court, Bigby said his clients were placed on paid administrative leave for 10 months while the patrol conducted a criminal investigation. No charges were filed and, after an initial move by the patrol to fire the deputies, the troopers were suspended for three to 10 days without pay.

Now, the troopers contend they were defamed by their employer in statements to the media after the investigation was made public. Writing the court, Bigby also claimed the patrol wrongly tied his clients to the Spokane diploma mill, which was the subject of criminal prosecution.

"Unlike the Spokane diploma mill, Almeda University and the University of Berkley operators have not been convicted of counterfeiting for their operations," Bigby told the court. "By implying a link between (the troopers) and the Spokane diploma mill, the (State Patrol) has placed the plaintiffs in a false light."

Bigby also faulted the patrol for releasing the names, personnel files and photos of his clients to reporters following a public records request.

Claiming his clients have suffered "severe emotional distress," Bigby asserted the troopers are owed payment for the harm done to their reputations, their mental anguish and invasions of their privacy.

The State Patrol has not yet responded to the suit with the court.