accepted students vs. student acceptances < 1. on 4/8/04, The Hattiesburg American published a statement from Joe Paul indicating that there is a 9% increase in students accepted by USM for this Fall (2004) compared to last Fall (2003). That figure represents an increase of 222 students accepted by USM this Fall. However, truth4usm correctly pointed out that same day (see geocities.com/fireshelby message board) that "students accepted for admission by USM" and "students choosing to enroll at USM upon acceptance of admission" (paraphrasing) are two different occurrences. Whole press release now, given truth4usm’s correction, looks like a variation on Mader math (see also USM enrollment) with some phantom students thrown in for flavoring and texture; 2. the kind of chicanery that a respectable institution, like Texas A&M, would likely never draw its Vice President of Student Affairs into.

flog and blog < 1. flog: to beat severly with a whip or rod (also flogging). blog: weblog (or web log); a journal that is on the web (Internet), and updated with some regularity (a practice called blogging). 2. Since Spring of 2002, USM President Shelby Thames has been flogging away at USM’s reputation (see world class institution) through ill-advised actions (see agent provacateur) against its faculty, staff (the holocaust here is an untold, heartbreaking account, which will someday be known to all), students (see my most prized possession) and, ultimately, its alumni and financial supporters. On that day in March of 2004 when two professors (see Glamser and Stringer) were summarily fired on solid grounds evidence, these constituencies began blogging back. Today, there are two well-known anti-Thames blogs: geocities.com/fireshelby and firethames.com. The former has had 53,132 visitors since its inception (as of 4/10/04), while the latter has had 4,365 (unique) visitors since inception (as of 4/10/04). Add to these two, several blogs (e.g., Liberty & Power Group blog, blog.lordsutch.com, scott.littlemeanfish.com/blog, coldfury.com/Sasha, joehilldispatch.org, dast.freeshell.org/blog, and others) from around the globe that have joined the fray and are keeping their "eyes" (or blogs) on events in Hattiesburg. The world is watching and taking notice (see Bill Gunther, image problem, and Danny Mitchell and for discussion of "brand" and "image" aspects of the current crisis).

Lee, J. Charles < 1. President of Mississippi State University, Mississippi’s largest 4-year institution of higher learning (title held by MSU for 16 years prior, except for a couple of months in the Fall of 2003); 2. his IHL "colleague" and "friend" Shelby Thames stole his title of state’s largest university (see phantom students), though only for a fleeting moment in the Fall of 2003; Thames’ (see also Susan Siltanen) human error had revenue implications (potentially) for both schools (negative for MSU, and positive for USM) through "branding" or "marketing," not to mention IHL funding; 3. Memo to President Lee: watch your own back from now on; you might not get saved by The Student Printz next time, they’re already overworked covering the many facets of this image problem over at USM without having to take care of you too.