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04 Aug 2009 11:15

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Politics: The American Family Association messes with AAA over gay rights

  • Look at that handy form letter! Check out this form letter: “My family and I are deeply shocked and saddened that AAA would alter its Family Membership policy to include recognizing homosexual couples as being ‘married.’ ” Well, American Family Association, MY FAMILY AND I are deeply shocked and saddened that your blatant homophobia gets a pass. They note that in 30 states, it’s not legal. But it is legal in some states. source

04 Aug 2009 11:06

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Culture: “Canadian Bacon 2”: Michael Moore drops the documentaries?

  • I have been working on two screenplays over the last couple of years. One’s a comedy, one’s a mystery, and I really want to do this.
  • Michael Moore • Discussing his post-“Capitalism: A Love Story” plans recently. Does that sound like the kind of guy who will be directing documentaries for the rest of his life? We think not. (By the way, in case you’ve never seen it, we highly recommend his only fiction movie thus far, “Canadian Bacon.”) • source

04 Aug 2009 11:05

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Sports: Why it rules to be Florida coach Urban Meyer

  • $24 million to coach the Gators in football for six years source

04 Aug 2009 10:53

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U.S., World: It took half a day, but North Korea turned Bill Clinton into a drone

This sounds like a weird request, but could someone please smile in this photo so we can confirm you still have a soul? Bill? Kim Jong-il? source

04 Aug 2009 10:44

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Biz, Tech: AP: Charging for quotes it doesn’t own, going into PR spin mode

  • If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea.
  • Thomas Jefferson • Quoted by blogger James Grimmelmann, who used that handy-dandy quote-charging system to see if Associated Press would charge him to pay for a quote they didn’t even use in a story. Not only did they do it (for $12), they returned his money, then made a statement about it. (He smartly responded back.) Sure, they’re not attacking bloggers. That’s what they say. But we can see the precedent and the crosshairs. It’s just not good for the Internet, guys. Our ban on their content stands. • source

04 Aug 2009 10:36

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World: A torrent of rockets descend on Afghanistan’s capital

  • 8 rockets slammed into Kabul today in a pre-election attack source

04 Aug 2009 10:28

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Biz, U.S.: Spending up, incomes down: The economy had a mixed June

  • +0.4% the increase in consumer spending in June, which was better than expected and topped May source
 

04 Aug 2009 01:05

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U.S., World: Currently playing diplomat in North Korea: Bill Clinton

  • Dude’s trying to get Laura Ling and Euna Lee released. Ex-president Bill Clinton, who’s kept busy since he left office, touched down in North Korea today in hopes of easing a major diplomatic crisis and freeing his old understudy’s reporters. Ling and Lee both work for Current TV, which is run in part by Clinton’s former vice president, Al Gore. While one could reasonably assume a deal’s in place for the release of the journalists considering who’s stopping by, nothing has been announced yet. source

04 Aug 2009 00:55

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World: China tries, fails to avoid the pneumonic plague like the plague

  • 3 people have died from the pneumonic plague so far source