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09 May 2009 16:01

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U.S.: Five years later, legalized gay marriage is a success in Mass.

  • I was out of work for eight weeks, spent a week in the hospital. That was the first time I really felt thankful for the sense of the security we had, with Rich there, talking with the physicians, helping make decisions. … It really made a difference.
  • Gary Chalmers • On how, during a bout with pneumonia, being married to his partner, Richard Linnell, significantly helped him. Chalmers and Linnell were amongst the first married gay couples in Massachusetts, which legalized gay marriage in 2004 via court decision. Despite continued vocal opposition from conservative and church groups, gay marriage has strong political support and the debate has faded into the background. Now, other states have recently legalized it. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 May 2009 15:49

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U.S.: Obama hangs with pirate-rescued Captain Richard Phillips

Between him and Captain Sully (the one who saved the plane in the Hudson Bay), it’s turning out to be a good year to be a captain. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 May 2009 15:25

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Culture, Politics: Comment: Rihanna and the way the human mind works

  • A good number of people have been disappointed by us today. Why? Because they found our site on Google using the phrase “Rihanna nude.” Now, it’s bad enough that the pop star is now all over the Internet in nude poses, but considering the amount of bad buzz following the star this year, it does scream a degree of kicking someone while they’re down. But much like Paris Hilton a few years ago, a bunch of guys (and hey, maybe girls) are looking for purely exploitative kicks. Not to criticize too harshly, but aren’t there other things you could be looking for on the Internet instead? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink

09 May 2009 14:57

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U.S.: The swine flu count is still going up in the U.S.

  • 2,254 confirmed H1N1 cases and counting source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 May 2009 14:49

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Biz, U.S.: Obama wants a credit card regulatory bill on his desk ASAP

  • There is no time for delay. We need a durable and successful flow of credit in our economy, but we can’t tolerate profits that depend upon misleading working families. Those days are over.
  • President Barack Obama • In his weekly radio address. Obama wants a bill that limits some of the more predatory aspects of the credit industry. The Credit Card Holders’ Bill of Rights, currently waiting on a vote in the Senate after it passed the House, is such a bill, but the banking industry is fighting it. Obama wants a bill on his desk by Memorial Day. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 May 2009 13:39

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Sports: An ode to one of our heroes, Detroit Pistons coach Chuck Daly

  • Back in the late 1980s, we were glued to our TV sets whenever the Detroit Pistons were on. We watched a team that had a solid nucleus and a rep for physical play as they won the NBA finals twice. They were the Bad Boys. source
  • None of this would have happened without Chuck Daly. Daly was the guy responsible for much of the team’s success – they never had back-to-back winning seasons before he started coaching the Bad Boys. He ruled. source
  • Sure, there were other players – Joe Dumars, Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer – but really, he was the glue that held them together. Daly died this morning at 78. His legacy is one of the greatest in basketball history. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

09 May 2009 09:14

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Music: ShortFormBlog’s Saturday Mixtape digs into the ’90s buzz bin

  • 1. Mark Lanegan had a much more nuanced career after the heyday of Screaming Trees. Even so, it wasn’t because the band sucked – see “Nearly Lost You” for an example.

    2. Los Angeles is a popular topic in indie rock, but trailblazer Frank Black of the Pixies got there early. This scatterbrained tune also drew a line in the sand for Black’s solo output.

    3. Nobody broods like Greg Dulli. The former Afghan Whigs lead singer (currently of The Twilight Singers) came off as sophisticated on “Debonair,” off of Gentleman.

    4. Sunny Day Real Estate suffered from overhype at first. Their self-titled debut (which also has killer cover art) shows why – songs like “In Circles” grab right for your collar.

    5. Why does Shoegazer music begin and end with My Bloody Valentine? There’s other great bands from the era like Catherine Wheel, whose “Black Metallic” sparkles.source

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09 May 2009 08:52

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Tech, U.S.: Why UC Berkeley students shouldn’t be happy right now

  • 160,000 students and alumni had their personal information stolen by hackers source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 May 2009 08:40

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U.S.: Just because you’re raised athiest doesn’t mean you stay atheist

  • 54% of kids raised atheist turn to religion as adults source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 May 2009 08:32

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World: Somali pirates are starting to rethink this piracy thing

  • Man, these Islamic guys want to cut my hands off. Maybe it’s time for a change.
  • Abshir Boyah • A Somali pirate boss who admits to 25 ship-hijackings in his time, on the thing that’s getting him to change his mind a little bit – Islamic sheiks who seem set against piracy. They’re not the only ones – local governments are starting to turn against piracy, too – but they’re the most influential. Plus, there’s only so many butt-kickings the pirates can get from the U.S. before it starts to sink in. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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