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18 Apr 2009 15:17

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Offbeat: Whoa: Despite getting shot in the head, she offered the police tea

  • There’s no way she should be alive other than a miracle from God. You just don’t hear of something like this. Somebody gets shot in the head and they’re dead.
  • Jackson County, Miss. Sheriff Mike Byrd • On the miraculous survival of Tammy Sexton, who was shot squarely in the forehead by her husband, who killed himself afterward. Sexton, despite having a bullet go through her brain, did not seem to suffer serious brain damage, and even offered the police a beverage (and made herself tea) when they came to look into the incident. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2009 15:07

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Offbeat: Nasal irrigation: Strange concept, good for your health

Pouring a teapot-like device into your nostrils sounds like a bizarre fetish, but really, it’s supposed to clear your sinuses. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2009 14:51

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Biz, U.S.: Know those giant fitness balls? They’re getting recalled en masse

  • The “burst-resistant” balls apparently burst. If you go to a gym where someone’s stretching on a big plastic ball, or are in an office where someone at their desk is sitting on a giant ball claiming it helps their back, you’ve seen ’em. Apparently, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (along with manufacturer EB Brands) is voluntarily recalling 3 million of the balls, saying that they can burst when overinflated, causing the person sitting on them to fall. The company, which manufactures them under such brand names as Everlast and and Valeo, received 47 reports of just that sort of thing happening. Yikes. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2009 14:30

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U.S., World: Obama seems to be wowing hard-nosed Latin American leaders

  • Eight years ago with this same hand I greeted Bush. I want to be your friend.
  • Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez • Speaking to President Barack Obama during the Summit of the Americas. Chavez, one of Bush’s harshest critics (and Bush, conversely, one of his), seems to actually like Obama and his approach to diplomacy. We expect in a couple of weeks Chavez and Obama will be having slumber parties in the capitals of their respective countries, playing Wii, watching South Park, playing fetch with the dog and eating cold pizza. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2009 13:26

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Biz: Newsrooms are looking like ghost towns nowadays

  • -5,900 number of newsroom jobs that disappeared in 2008; 46,700 staffers managed to avoid losing their jobs in the process source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2009 12:26

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Offbeat: In case you needed more cute animal photos in your life …

… The Boston Globe has organized dozens of zoo creatures for you to fawn over. This seal wants more sushi. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2009 11:34

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U.S., World: Roxana Saberi’s harsh sentence blindsided her family

  • We are very shocked and we were not expecting it. We were hoping for six months and then clemency.
  • Reza Saberi • Father of Roxana Saberi, on the harsh sentence she got from an Iranian court for spying. She could have gotten the death penalty. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

18 Apr 2009 11:16

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U.S., World: Roxana Saberi faces the wrath of an Iranian court

  • 8 years in prison for the Iranian-American journalist on spying charges source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2009 10:31

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Music: ShortFormBlog’s Saturday mixtape for April 18, 2009

  • 1. Sampler wizard El Guincho, from Spain, manages to convey the loose vibe of ’60s Brazilian Tropicalia effortlessly on “Antillas,” from last year’s “Alegranza!”
  • 2. The Thermals are pretty much the best punk band the West Coast has to offer, and “A Pillar of Salt” from 2006’s “The Body, The Blood, The Machine,” is where to start.
  • 3. Lady GaGa’s blowing up so huge right now that it’s hard to ignore her, but even if you dislike her dance-pop, this piano ballad version of “Poker Face” is killer, and then some.
  • 4. Bonnie “Prince” Billy is the king of reworking R&B into the language of indie rock. His take on Mariah Carey’s “Can’t Take That Away (Mariah’s Theme)” is an irony-laden trip.
  • 5. M. Ward is getting a lot of attention for “Hold Time,” but his best album is still 2003’s “Transfiguration of Vincent.” “Dead Man” is a quiet highlight.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 8 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2009 22:13

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Culture: I can has bestseller: Funny blogs do killer book business

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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