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"Top Secret America": The Washington Post's contracting investigation

projects.washingtonpost.com

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Re: "Top Secret America": The Washington Post's contracting investigation

#2
What's the easiest way to create clusters like that on a map? I worked on something that required clustering at a zoomed-out level and then being broken down into smaller clusters, eventually singular entities on the map. I look at scipy/numpy and some clustering algorithms but most of them required you to define the number of clusters up front.

Any idea what they're using here?

Re: "Top Secret America": The Washington Post's contracting investigation

#3
post #2

What's the easiest way to create clusters like that on a map? I worked on something that required clustering at a zoomed-out level and then being broken down into smaller clusters, eventually singular entities on the map. I look at scipy/numpy and some clustering algorithms but most of them required you to define the number of clusters up front. Any idea what they're using here?

Not sure what they're using, but I like ClusterMarker

http://googlemapsapi.martinpearman.co.uk/articles.php?cat_id...

Re: "Top Secret America": The Washington Post's contracting investigation

#5
The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. --JFK

Re: "Top Secret America": The Washington Post's contracting investigation

#6
post #5

The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society…

See: Bay of Pigs, the unfortunate matter of the Diem family; etc.

Re: "Top Secret America": The Washington Post's contracting investigation

#7
post #4

Unfortunately, the map seems to be limited to "there are some 'top secret' things in this general area." I was hoping for something more comprehensive, although I realize that in some instances there may not be a whole lot of information.

For the companies one of the tabs will last all* of the companies. You can do searches with the state or city name. The result has info on what the company does and how many employees.

Re: "Top Secret America": The Washington Post's contracting investigation

#8
post #5

The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society…

See: Bay of Pigs, the unfortunate matter of the Diem family; etc.

How dare you allude to what someone actually did?! Don't you know that Americans like appearance more than content?

Seriously now: I upvoted you, and I wish I could upvote you twice. This myth that JFK was a saint has to die. He handled the Cuban Missile Crisis quite well, but he also escalated U.S. involvement in Vietnam, and had Diem executed (one of the greatest mistakes the U.S. ever made in Indochina). The fact that you're being downvoted for countering an admittedly pretty (yet meaningless) quote with facts is surprising. I thought HN'ers were truth-seekers, not flag-waving retards.

Re: "Top Secret America": The Washington Post's contracting investigation

#9
post #5

The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society…

See: Bay of Pigs, the unfortunate matter of the Diem family; etc.

[deleted]

Re: "Top Secret America": The Washington Post's contracting investigation

#10
Spending all of this money and having an allegedly free society subjected to this level of government secrecy would be difficult to justify under the best of circumstances. Given that no one knows if it's helping -- or even necessary -- nudges difficult pretty darn close to impossible.
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