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09 Jul 2009 23:36

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Biz, U.S.: The cash-for-clunkers plan is making auto salespeople excited

  • Are we excited about it? Absolutely! We think it is a great opportunity for people to get rid of their clunkers.
  • Cliff Johnson • President of Texas Motors Ford, on the cash-for-clunkers program the Obama administration implemented this year. The plan, which gives consumers up to $4,500 in credit to swap aging vehicles for newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles, has fans all over the map: Consumers, environmentalists, automakers and guys that sell cars for a living. Only the latter category talks like Cliff Johnson, though. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jul 2009 23:18

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U.S.: Ah, coastal Maine: A beautiful, serene front for the heroin trade

Mexican drug cartels, looking for a new front to push coke and heroin, are pushing out of cities and into small towns with quaint lighthouses like this one. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jul 2009 23:03

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U.S.: Dumping graves to sell the plots ranks pretty high on the soulless list

  • I don’t even know what to tell you about the heartbreaking stories that I’ve been hearing from people, crying hysterically that they’re going through the burial for the second time today.
  • Cook County, Ill. Sheriff Tom Dart • On the effect the excavation of 300 grave sites (for the purpose of reselling the plots) is having on families of the deceased. Four people were arrested for the scheme, which happened at a historic black cemetery in Alsip, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. If you think what he’s saying is bad, just consider the harsh words the families of those affected by the dumping. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jul 2009 22:48

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Culture: Know Dan Deacon? He wasn’t tripping acid when he made this

  • Beyond his awesomely bizarro music career, player piano supergenius Dan Deacon is the constant target of viral videos, most famously “Drinking Out of Cups,” a Liam Lynch video based on a sonic experiment Deacon made over half a decade ago. Well, after a handful of comedians linked to this video (2.9 million views and counting), he was forced to clarify to the world: No, he wasn’t on acid when he made this. To make up for that, we were on acid when we watched it.source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jul 2009 22:32

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U.S.: Sen. John Ensign’s parents spent lots of money on their son’s mistress

  • $96,000 last year to quell family drama source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jul 2009 22:21

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U.S.: Yo, Roland, glad to hear you aren’t being a jerk anymore

  • Dude won’t run for Senate in 2010. Whew. Roland Burris, who played an incredibly lame game of hokey pokey with Obama’s old Illinois Senate seat with the help of impeached governor Rod Blagojevich, finally gets the hint. Nobody wants him there. As a result, he plans to announce that he won’t run next year, according to party officials. (Not like he’d have a chance anyway, considering all the questions about how he got the seat.) We still think the guy’s a douche, but he’s at least going to be out of everyone’s hairs in a year and a half. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jul 2009 22:14

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U.S.: Everyone makes out like a bastard in the N.Y. State Senate drama

  • The defector Sen. Pedro Espada, who sided in the Republicans in a coup a month ago, finally agreed to side with the Democrats once again – but not without perks. Espada, who was one of two drama-creating Democrats to defect, is now the party’s majority leader in the Senate. Nice deal, bro. source
  • The defector Sen. Pedro Espada, who sided in the Republicans in a coup a month ago, finally agreed to side with the Democrats once again – but not without perks. Espada, who was one of two drama-creating Democrats to defect, is now the party’s majority leader in the Senate. Nice deal, bro.
  • The defectees While the Republicans didn’t get control of the State Senate like they tried to, they did push some reforms through in June which are staying put, as part of the agreement to stop the gridlock. All this stuff happened a day after Richard Ravitch was appointed lieutenant governor. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

09 Jul 2009 20:57

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Biz: Where do banks really make their ill-gotten money? Overdraft fees

  • $20.5 billion the amount banks are expected to make from credit card fees such as overlimit fees in 2009, which will (fortunately) soon be regulated by the federal government source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jul 2009 20:31

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Offbeat: Fewer calories means longer life, fewer Frappuccinos

  • They tested it on primates. Seriously. Admit it, you like eating. And not just anything. Absolute garbage. Drinks with more calories than many meals. Burgers loaded with layer upon layer of meat, cheese, secret sauce … you get the idea. Well, if you want to live longer, maybe you shouldn’t. According to a study that involved cutting calories of monkeys, they found just 13% of monkeys who had their calorie intake limited died during the 20-year testing period, versus 37% of monkeys who chose to gorge as much as they wanted. So, next time … get the small Frappuccino, and thank us later. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jul 2009 20:23

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Sports: Apparently the hard partying, happy tokin’ Michael Phelps can swim?

Michael Phelps set a world record… again. This time for swimming the 100m butterfly in 50.22 seconds at Indiana University yesterday. Yowza. source
Posted by Nathalie Heiberg • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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