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30 Apr 2009 09:29

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Offbeat, Tech: Alzheimer’s patients could be using GPS to navigate

Grocery stores can have confusing layouts to the elderly. So can kitchens and new places. Technology can help. source

30 Apr 2009 09:17

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U.S., World: World Health Organization: We’ll get the answers

  • It really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic. We do not have all the answers right now, but we will get them.
  • WHO Director-General Margaret Chan • On yesterday’s Phase 5 alert, the second-highest one. We certainly hope they get the answers. Regarding Mexico’s status, part of what caused the high number of deaths is a general distrust of the health care system by the public, along with misdiagnosis of some cases. Part of what helps prevent the most serious effects of the disease is early, rapid treatment. • source

30 Apr 2009 08:53

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Sports: Was A-Rod dishonest about his steroid usage? Manboobs say yes.

  • He had a profane nickname in the clubhouse a while back. Baseball’s highest-paid player, Alex Rodriguez, may have been using steroids much longer than he admitted a couple of months ago, the New York Daily News reports. They claim, via Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts (who broke the A-Rod steroid scandal in the first place) that Rodriguez was using as far back as high school and as recently as a Yankee. Rodriguez, in 2005, apparently carried a nickname around the clubhouse after he apparently grew manboobs, which may be a hint as to his steroid usage. Either way, it’s the NYDN, so take it with a grain of salt. source

30 Apr 2009 08:40

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Tech, World: Curious about the Swine Flu outbreak? Google has you covered.

Google Flu, around since last year, has been modified to offer information about swine flu cases in Mexico. source

30 Apr 2009 08:22

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World: A school shooting in Azerbaijan; the motive as yet unknown

  • 13 killed in the Azeri school shooting, 13 more wounded source

30 Apr 2009 00:37

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Offbeat, Tech: Want to protest URL shorteners everywhere? Use GiantURL.

  • Click on this link. It’s 795 characters. You may need a URL shortener for it, but it would get away from the purist ideal of GiantURL: To create the longest, most useless URL possible. We salute you, GiantURL. source

29 Apr 2009 23:49

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Music: Random music recommendation: The Humms

  • We were disappointed tonight that we couldn’t get to see King Khan & The Shrines at the 9:30 Club (long story), but these Georgia dudes, on songs like “Are You Dead?”, mine the same fuzzy psychedelic territory in an engaging way.

    Not bad guys. Come to D.C. You can sleep on our couch as long as you take turns sleeping on the couch, because we only have one. source

 

29 Apr 2009 23:05

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U.S.: President Obama: There will be “hundreds of days to follow”

  • I want to thank the American people for their support and their patience during these trying times, and I look forward to working with you in the next hundred days, in the hundred days after that, all of the hundreds of days to follow, to make sure that this country is what it can be.
  • President Barack Obama • During a live prime-time news conference that happened earlier tonight. Obama covered a ton of ground during his speech, specifically touching on the economy, Arlen Specter, the elusive promise of bipartisanship, swine flu, Iraq and the dynamics of getting things done in D.C. He’s not done yet – he still has hundreds of days of acts to go. • source

29 Apr 2009 20:52

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Tech: Twitter has a hard time keeping its members around

  • 60% of Twitter users love ’em and then leave ’em source

29 Apr 2009 10:48

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World: European countries: Cease-fire? Sri Lanka: *shakes head* NO!

  • They will not give up the fight with Tamil rebels. U.K. and French ministers tried to convince the Sri Lankan military to change its tune, but it continues to not want to budge, for fear of giving the Tamil Tigers time to regroup. The ministers also tried convincing the Tamil Tigers to let civilians leave what’s now described as a two-square-mile area holding up to 50,000 people. Someone has to budge here. source