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26 Jul 2009 23:55

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Politics, U.S.: Just when we stopped caring, Joe the Plumber offers his opinion

  • Does the Republican Party represent anything I stand for right now? Absolutely not. Right now the Republican Party doesn’t even know what it stands for.
  • Joe Wurzelbacher a.k.a. “Joe the Plumber” • Regarding the party which used him as a talking point during last year’s presidential election. Wurzelbacher is well-known for not pulling punches in his political opinion – he got into this whole mess by criticizing Barack Obama’s economic policies to his face – and remains a fierce conservative-leaning independent. His biggest issue remains the economy: “Instead of spending more of our money, they should cut back like ordinary Americans are having to. Why do they think they can spend their way out of this mess?” Since we last spoke to the the outspoken plumber, he’s aligned himself with the tea partyin’ wing of conservatism. • source

26 Jul 2009 22:37

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Politics: Worth reading: Slate’s in-depth Web-vs.-newspapers smackdown

  • The Web side Web proponents feel that newspapers are a product of an era that no longer exists – the media gatekeeper as primary news source. We’re in an era where everything’s decentralized. We don’t need the big source of news anymore. Who needs the New York Times when you can get news from 50 bloggers in an RSS reader? source
  • The Web side Web proponents feel that newspapers are a product of an era that no longer exists – the media gatekeeper as primary news source. We’re in an era where everything’s decentralized. We don’t need the big source of news anymore. Who needs the New York Times when you can get news from 50 bloggers in an RSS reader?
  • The print side One point that newspaper proponents can make pretty easily is that much of what shows up on the blogosphere originally appeared in various news sources. And there are many benefits to that whole organizational center that a newsroom provides. And newsprint is tangible in your hands in a way that a laptop isn’t. source
  • The Web side Web proponents feel that newspapers are a product of an era that no longer exists – the media gatekeeper as primary news source. We’re in an era where everything’s decentralized. We don’t need the big source of news anymore. Who needs the New York Times when you can get news from 50 bloggers in an RSS reader?
  • The print side One point that newspaper proponents can make pretty easily is that much of what shows up on the blogosphere originally appeared in various news sources. And there are many benefits to that whole organizational center that a newsroom provides. And newsprint is tangible in your hands in a way that a laptop isn’t.
  • What Slate did Rather than go for the Clay Shirky-style final word, they let Web news junkies and newspaper junkies say their piece (and there are many opinions, all of which are worth reading), tested them on their knowledge, then had them debate on a podcast. It’s an entertaining debate where – best of all – nothing’s settled. source

26 Jul 2009 22:01

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World: Johnnie Walker causes a massive protest akin to the Iran election

All these laid off liquor factory employees need to remember that they’ll make it through the day with some help from Johnnie Walker Red. source

26 Jul 2009 21:37

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Biz, Tech: AT&T plays with fire, messes with the infamous 4chan

  • Anonymous is not amused. If you don’t know what the image board 4chan is, just imagine a giant board of internet nerds who have fun being disruptive. (Like the internet should be, if you ask us.) If you don’t know what AT&T is, just imagine a giant telecommunications company who has fun making disruptions for iPhone customers. Reports came out today saying that AT&T blocked access to a number of boards on 4chan, which means that AT&T has just opened up a can of worms and might find themselves under nerd attack. Good job guys! Expect your front page to have a disturbing image on it within the next day. source

26 Jul 2009 21:26

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World: The phrase “change at a glacial pace” now means “change quickly”

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Global Fiducials Library has a pretty scary selection of glacier photos which show things melting at pretty scary rates. source

26 Jul 2009 21:17

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Sports: Michael Vick can at least count on Terrell Owens’ support

  • The Michael Vick situation, I think, is unfortunate. I think the way the commissioner is handling it is unfair to Michael Vick. I think he’s done the time for what he’s done. I don’t think it’s really fair for him to be suspended four more games. It’s almost like kicking a dead horse in the ground.
  • Brash NFL icon Terrell Owens • Sounding pretty intelligent in arguing against a further suspension for Michael Vick, who went to jail for his ties to a dog-fighting operation. Owens, currently a Buffalo Bill, feels that the players’ union needs to step in and give Vick their support as he tries to return to the NFL and put the situation behind him. • source

26 Jul 2009 21:09

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U.S.: Sad, depressing story of the day: A huge car crash in New York

  • one Ford Windstar minivan drove the wrong way on a divided highway; it crashed, then rolled down a hill and burst into flames source
 

26 Jul 2009 20:57

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U.S.: Most of the public has had enough of Sarah Palin’s hijinks

  • 53% of those polled are down on Alaska’s ex-governor source

26 Jul 2009 20:43

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Politics, U.S.: Max Headroom special edition: Sarah Palin is f#(^ing crazy

  • The resignation video
  • Our analysis
    0:05-0:09 – Sarah Palin’s speech, already crazy, takes a turn about here, linking the military to freedom of speech.
    0:09-0:14 – Oh God, please don’t.
    0:23-0:51 – In your analysis of the press, could you be more bitingly cynical, Sarah?
    0:52-1:04 – She just killed whatever credibility she had left with the press.
    1:05-1:28 – Just don’t tell her crowd of supporters. They still love her.
    1:29-1:38 – Trust us. Ricky Hollywood doesn’t regret his moment in the sun. source

26 Jul 2009 18:57

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Offbeat: Evrey wrod ecexpt “exit” mispeled on a hgihway sgin

Tihs is a purty magor wsate of Wissconsin taxpaier monee, if yuo assk us. Butt its stile highlarious. source