In the past, it was primarily a parole officer’s judgment, along with a criminal’s past record, used to influence the decision regarding the level of supervision necessary for each person. Admittedly, human judgment is often less than perfect, however, equally, individual intuition or ‘gut feel’ about another human being can in many cases, not be reproduced or replaced by computer software technology.

What can certainly help in predicting criminal behavior, is technology that can augment the personal or subjective side of evaluation, using the raw processing speed and accuracy of computer software. Berk’s software technology incorporates a database containing more than 60,000 crimes, including homicides. The software program also includes approximately two dozen variables, utilizing not only empirical data such as age and criminal record, but also geographic location, type of crime, and the relative age of each person when they committed the crime.

It’s very important to distinguish, that this new technology does not predict actual crimes, but rather, only the tendency or likelihood of which criminals might commit crimes again. Consequently, this ability will directly translate into the level of supervision each person on parole or probation gets assigned by the courts.

There’s no denying that the show is a refreshing, often unpredictable summer treat. But it’s not perfect. And even the show’s most loyal fans have the following complaints.

You can’t blame NBC for wanting to keep a good thing going, and adding the YouTube auditions paid off with priceless buzz. But all these weeks later, who can remember who the first semifinalists were? And how many semifinalists are there supposed to be, anyway? If you want to keep your sanity, the best way to watch the show is to tape it and fast-forward without mercy.

It’s called “America’s Got Talent,” but “America’s Got Oddities” would be more accurate. For every singer, dancer and musician, there’s a kite flyer, a man who saws his head in half and Prince Poppycock. Can you honestly say you’re watching “America’s Got Talent,” or gawking at it? The theme seems to extend to the judging panel, too; when the deeply bizarre David Hasselhoff stepped down, he was replaced by Howie Mandel, who has OCD, ADHD and an irrational fear of germs. Howie’s comments are charming and fair — that is, when he’s not literally running away from the acts. He fled from one performance that involved sneezing and another with dental floss.

Take the kite flyer, Connor Doran. I could be wrong — indoor kiteflying just might become the next great art form. But hearing that Doran took up the hobby to cope with his epilepsy made it infinitely more touching. Let’s not forget last year, when musician Kevin Skinner won the whole shebang. Did America vote for his singing? Or did they vote for a Kentucky chicken catcher who deserved a break? One clue: His March debut CD, “Long Ride,” didn’t chart on the Billboard 200.

The Democratic National Committee is celebrating with an op-ed in Politico tying the party’s recent legislative accomplishments to the historic victory for women. And the union-affiliated group Healthy Workplace is using the occasion to attack Meg Whitman, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in California. Check out this news release headline: "A Celebration of Women’s Suffrage and a Protest of Meg Whitman Whose Voting Record Dishonors that Tradition." (Whitman did not vote for long stretches of her career. She was registered to vote in the 1980s, contrary to a report saying she did not register until 2002.)

On her Facebook page, Sarah Palin took the chance to endorse some new female candidates. She also posted on Twitter, "Who hijacked term:"feminist"?A cackle of rads who want 2 crucify other women w/whom they disagree on a singular issue; it’s ironic (& passé)." The tweet is mostly likely a reference to this campaign against her by the women’s group EMILY’s list. (For what it’s worth, she is again using English creatively with "cackle.")

There are also some non-political events around the country to celebrate.

As the 14th amendment has come under debate, it’s also interesting to note that suffragists were torn over whether to support voting rights for black men.

Dr. Herszenson works as a family doctor at the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. He’s a graduate student at Hunter College where he’s reading public health part time.

Dr. David Scott Herszenson and Alan Emanuel Pierson are to affirm their partnership in Chicago Sunday morning at the Columbus Park Refectory, an event space in the Chicago Park District. Rabbi Julie Pelc Adler is to lead the commitment ceremony. He was awarded with a medical degree from the University of Wisconsin where he also had his college degree with a distinction.

Herszenson’s parents are Dr. Sidney Herszenson, a private skin disease expert and Suzanne Herszenson who works at a manager in her husband’s clinic in her spare time. They are both from Milwaukee.

Pierson, 36 works as and art director and conductor of a new music group, Alarm Will Sound. He’s also the main conductor of Crash Ensemble, another new group located in Dublin. He graduated from MIT with a doctorate degree in music and arts. His parents are Edward Pierson and Elaine Pierson, both hailing from Chicago. Edward Pierson teaches engineering at Purdue University located in Hammond Indiana.

Abuelazam, an Israeli-Arab, is believed to be behind at least 18 knife attacks in Michigan, with five dead from the stabbings.

The suspect is originally from the Israeli city of ;Ramle, although he is living legally in the United States. The Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reports that one Ramle resident said Abuelazam left Israel at age 19 or 20 after finishing high school. Another resident said Abuelazam was orphaned by his father at a young age. The resident added that Abuelazam was allegedly involved with criminals and had a violent streak, which led his mother to send him abroad.

For several days the phrase "serial stabber" has shown up in the Google trends, and when news spread that Elias Abuelazam was arrested on Wednesday night, his name became a fast-rising topic on the Internet, with many hoping that the serial stabber is now off the streets.

Although the majority of the stabbings were black men, no statement has been issued as to whether the stabbings were racially motivated.

CBS: ; The serial stabber was blamed for as many as 20 attacks at one point, but police determined two of the reported assaults were not likely linked to the serial stabber … a police hotline on the case received more than 500 tips, including the one that sent police looking for Abuelazam.

MSNBC : ;Michigan officials said Thursday that Elias Abuelazam, 33, is currently charged with assault with intent to murder in a July 27 stabbing in Flint. Further charges are pending … ;Investigators Wednesday night raided a rental home on Flint’s east side that is believed to have been used by Abuelazam, WNEM-TV reported. Witnesses said officers with the Michigan State Police crime lab removed numerous items.

;

Ted Stevens' appearance in the news now happens to synchronize with increasing discussions of one of the topics he is best known for (on the Internet, anyway).

Stevens single-handedly brought the topic of net neutrality to a more mainstream audience several years ago. Not because he understood it, necessarily.

"It's not a big truck," Stevens said of the Web in a 2006 speech to the Senate. He also anecdotally described how "an Internet was sent by my staff," and didn't arrive until days later.

"Why?" he asked rhetorically. "Because it got tangled up with all these things they've got going on the Internet commercially."

Those videos, which are really just a static picture of Stevens' face along with the audio of that speech, have accumulated millions of hits on YouTube. One "techno remix" of the speech alone has …

3:33 p.m.: Evan Longoria singles on a grounder headed toward right field that second baseman Aaron Hill gets a glove on with a diving attempt. Now, Morrow must try to hold his one-run lead with runners on first and third.

3:30 p.m.: Carl Crawford flies out to left field. Two outs — and only Evan Longoria remaining.

3:29 p.m.: Ben Zobrist walks on four pitches. That’s the second walk and third baserunner allowed by Morrow.

3:28 p.m.: Jason Bartlett flies out to center field for the first out of the ninth.

3:26 p.m.: Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Brandon Morrow is three outs from one of the most dominant no-hitters ever. With 16 strikeouts through eight innings, he is one strikeout short of Nolan Ryan’s record for strikeouts in a no-hitter. Ryan struck out 17 and walked four on July 15, 1973 while pitching for the California Angels at Detroit.

Morrow, holding a 1-0 lead against the Tampa Bay Rays, has one walk and another runner reached on an error by first baseman Lyle Overbay.

3:15 p.m.: Brandon Morrow’s no-hit bid is through eight innings after pinch-hitter Willy Aybar flies out to center field.

Jason Bartlett, Ben Zobrist and Carl Crawford are the Rays’ scheduled batters in the ninth inning.

3:14 p.m.: B.J. Upton strikes out swinging for the second out — 16 strikeouts.

3:11 p.m.: John Jaso takes a breaking ball for a called third strike for the first out of the eighth inning. That’s 15 strikeouts.

Brandon Morrow has a no-hitter through seven innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Toronto Blue Jays right-hander struck out the side in the seventh and has a career-high 14 strikeouts.

The Rays, who already have been victims this season of a perfect game by Oakland’s Dallas Braden and a no-hitter by Arizona’s Edwin Jackson, came closest to a hit so far today on a fly ball to deep left-center by Ben Zobrist. But Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells made a running catch for the final out of the sixth inning before banging into the wall.

Wells had to leave the game with a dislocated right big toe suffered on the play.

Morrow, 26, has an 8-6 record this season and 4.79 earned run average. He has never pitched a complete game in 36 previous major league starts and has just one in 20 minor league starts.

By Paul White

Reynoldsburg has its tomato festival, Dublin has its Irish festival, and Millersport has its sweet-corn festival.

But the Jazz & Blues Ribfest is Pickerington’s no more. The music-and-barbecue event opens tonight in Canal Winchester under a different name: the Blues & Ribfest. Some Pickerington residents and businesses aren’t too happy the city lost one of its three big summer festivals over a beer permit.

“I’m very disappointed,” Pickerington resident Shelley Wyckoff said. “It was always packed and a fun time. They should have tried a little harder to keep it.”

Festival organizers turned the event over to Canal Winchester in January after trying for months to persuade the Pickerington City Council to approve a new location and the alcohol permit that would go with it. The old location didn’t meet the growing event’s water and electricity needs, but the proposed new location was in Victory Park.

Council members suggested a drinking area on private property, away from the rest of the festival, Councilman Brian Wisniewski said. “It’s not necessary to be mixing drinks where children play,” he said. “We were trying to work with them, and then the next thing we know, we find out they’re moving down to Canal.”

Every year, officials in at least one or two central Ohio cities find themselves debating the parameters of - or sometimes the exclusion of - alcohol at festivals or events.

Dublin, for example, will host the Can-Am Police-Fire Games this month, an event expected to draw police and firefighters from 36 states and 10 countries and generate as much as $6 million for the city.

To get the games, the City Council agreed to allow organizers to serve alcohol at the opening and closing ceremonies on city-owned property at Coffman Park.

Scott Dring, executive director of the Dublin Convention and Visitors Bureau, has asked the City Council to consider adopting a formal policy rather than relying on its current case-by-case method. Having a policy on the books would help the bureau know which festivals and events it can compete for, Dring said.

The council’s Community Development Committee is expected to address the issue, perhaps in September.

In Pickerington, former festival organizer Keely Weaver said spending months debating an alcohol permit responsible for a quarter of an event’s revenue isn’t a friendly environment for a festival, especially one that aims to attract adults.

“We received zero support from the city,” she said. “The City Council knew the festival was in jeopardy.”

Helen Mayle, president of the Pickerington Chamber of Commerce, said she plans to go to the Canal Winchester festival, but she wishes it were still local.

“For me, it’s a sad situation,” Mayle said. “It’s a blow to the Old Village.”

Festivals attract visitors, she said, but the big benefit is that people see a mom-and-pop restaurant or shop and think: “This is a cool place. I need to come back sometime.”

It’s Pickerington’s loss and Canal Winchester’s gain.

“We’re just tickled pink and excited to have it here,” said Nathan Doerfler, owner of Harvest Moon Cafe.

Doerfler said he plans to have extra staff and coffee cups on hand tonight.

Bruce Jarvis, executive director of Main Street Canal Winchester, said his organization has expanded the festival to two days with more children’s activities, more ribs chefs and more of a focus on blues.

It also will be serving beer - in a tent on public property.

Dispatch reporter Holly Zachariah contributed to this story.

Probably not unless he sells it, says tax expert Richard Lipton of Baker & McKenzie in Chicago.

New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez became the seventh — and youngest — pro baseball player to achieve 600 career home runs when he whacked a shot to center field at Yankee Stadium Wednesday. The ball landed in the security netting and was retrieved by stadium personnel.

Brandon Steiner of Steiner Sports, a New Rochelle, N.Y.-based sports memorabilia firm, estimated the ball to be worth $100,000, in part because Rodriguez hit it at Yankee Stadium. Steiner said the balls cost the team $7 to $8. His firm acquires balls used in regular games from the Yankees and typically sells them for between $100 and $350, depending on variables such as the opposing team.

It is unclear what will happen to A-Rod’s ball, but Steiner and others believe the team may allow the player to keep it.

That gesture could raise thorny tax issues, says Lipton. If the ball is the property of the Yankees and they allow A-Rod to have it, this could mean an extra $100,000 of taxable compensation for the player, while the team would see a corresponding deduction. (Under settled tax law, the ball cannot qualify as a tax-free gift from the Yankees to A-Rod because he is an employee of the team.)

On the other hand, team executives could argue that the ball became A-Rod’s when he hit it, and they are simply returning his property to him. In that case, neither the player nor the Yankees would owe taxes.

But even if Rodriguez pays no tax upon receiving the ball,another serious tax question could arise if he either sells or donates it. Under one theory, the ball has increased in value due to A-Rod’s services, so a sale would simply generate ordinary income to him of almost $100,000, taxable at a top rate of 35% this year. In this case, donating the ball to a qualified charity would generate no tax deduction.

But A-Rod — or, more likely, his lawyers — might also argue that the ball is more like a $50 yard-sale painting that turns out to be a $100,000 work by Picasso ( or a jumbled box of negatives that turn out to be Ansel Adams originals ). Under this theory, if he sells the ball, nearly all the $100,000 would be a capital gain taxed at the 28% rate that applies to collectibles–provided he hangs onto the ball for more than a year. (The gain on collectibles held less than a year is taxed at ordinary income rates.) And if he donated it after a year — say to the not-for-profit National Baseball Hall of Fame — he might get a near-full deduction for the ball’s fair market value.

Amid the tax fog, all that’s clear is that an immediate IRS bill is unlikely for anyone, thanks to Mark McGwire.

When McGwire hit his 62nd homer in 1998, breaking Roger Maris’s single-season home run record, the home run ball sparked a tax tempest. Back then a hapless IRS spokesman said that if a fan caught the ball and gave it to McGwire, the fan might owe a hefty gift tax. The comment aroused howls of protest from Congress members, which then-IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti soothed by saying, “The fan who gives back the home-run ball deserves a round of applause, not a big tax bill.”

Says Lipton, “Home-run baseballs, like frequent-flyer miles and employer-provided cellphones, seem to be sacrosanct.”

–Laura Saunders