Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

02 Feb 2009 22:24

tags

Culture: Super ratings for the Super Bowl; “The Office,” not so hot

  • 95.4 million people, on average watched this year’s telecast, down just 2% from last year’s record 2008 viewing
  • 22 million people stuck around to watch “The Office;” that’s the second-lowest-rated post-Super Bowl show in the last five years source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Feb 2009 10:02

tags

About: A bit more about Ernie’s future plans

  • He has a job! A few of you asked, so we’ll answer. Starting today, Ernie will be working at Express, a free daily newspaper published by The Washington Post. It’s his third free daily newspaper in a row, but it’s also the biggest. He’s excited about the opportunity and plans to use his info-breakdown roots as much as he can.
  • What he left behindHe does it with a heavy heart. He wasn’t exactly looking to leave his adopted hometown of Norfolk, Va., but he did it because the opportunity made a lot of sense. He’s done a lot of moving in the last few years, and the last place felt like home. He already misses his favorite coffee shop, Elliot’s Fair Grounds. Sigh.
  • But don’t worry …ShortFormBlog is still a priority of his and he plans to keep it going as long as he can. The nature of it may change slightly – to focus on interest and intrigue over the immediacy of a news cycle – but it’s gonna stick around. He may even bring on more staffers. Stay tuned to this dial …
Posted by Ernie Smith • 8 Comments • Permalink

02 Feb 2009 10:00

tags

About: Ernie starts a new job today. The transition time? Kind of long.

  • 45 number of days Ernie was unemployed before today
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

02 Feb 2009 09:24

tags

U.S.: Tom Daschle + back taxes = the inevitable apology to Congress

  • I apologize for the errors and profoundly regret that you have had to devote time to them.
  • Tom Daschle • the former Senate Majority Leader who is nominated for secretary of Health and Human Services, on having to pay $128,000 in back taxes. He wrote this in a letter to the Senate Finance Committee, who has yet to approve him. *forehead slap* • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Feb 2009 09:20

tags

U.S.: Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow on Groundhog Day?

  • YES. Six more weeks. We so wanna punch Ned. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Feb 2009 08:30

tags

Music: Another type of groundhog, Sid Vicious, died 30 years ago today

  • I can’t drink, I can’t, like the doctor said if I drank anything even remotely like the way I’ve been drinking for the past however long, I’ve got six months at the absolute outside to live.
  • Sid Vicious • bassist for the Sex Pistols, on the self-destructive nature which eventually did him in on February 2, 1979. He died of a heroin overdose. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Feb 2009 08:23

tags

Offbeat: And, oh yeah, it’s Groundhog Day

Will Phil see his shadow? Will Bill Murray manage to get out of an infinite loop? Wait and find out! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

02 Feb 2009 08:17

tags

Biz, U.S.: Bits and bytes are nice, but buy a newspaper today.

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Feb 2009 08:08

tags

U.S.: Oh no! Obama broke a promise!

  • It’s his first one PolitiFact, which, as you might remember, has been keeping track of Obama’s numerous campaign promises, noted that late last week, Obama broke his first promise. He’s currently 6 kept, 1 broken and 1 compromise (and about 500+ to go).
  • What did he break? Obama made a campaign promise that he would allow for public vetting of any bill he was about to sign into law over a five-day period, but the the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (which curtailed pay discrimination) was passed after only two days with no comment. Shame. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Feb 2009 07:50

tags

U.S.: Despite tough economic times, welfare numbers are down

  • 18 states cut their welfare numbers in 2008; welfare was cut back in the ’90s in favor of encouraging work
  • -13% cut in Michigan’s welfare numbers despite the state’s high unemployment rate of over 9% source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
top tags
older >>