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06 Aug 2009 11:10

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Biz: Rupert Murdoch is talking about charging for content, too

  • He has slightly more sense about it than AP, though. Murdoch, smarting from huge declines in News Corp. this quarter, wants to start charging for all of his news products within the next year. But rather than simply a blanket “let’s screw everyone” approach (though he’s saying that, too, suggesting “furious litigation”), he wants to do it by differentiating the content of his products from what you can get for free. He should have an easy time with that, as his products tend to break a lot of big stories, especially when it comes to celebrity news. Still, though … don’t just close the doors, man. Figure out ways to let the outside world in. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Aug 2009 11:01

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Offbeat: Wanna sleep better? Better turn down the thermostat big time

  • 60°F-68°F for an optimal sleep source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Aug 2009 10:49

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Sports: Prince Fielder’s clubhouse tirade was kinda understandable

  • He’s been hit a lot. … He doesn’t like it when somebody does it on purpose. I don’t blame him. … This type of mentality puts everybody in jeopardy. Giving a guy a $500 fine and two-game suspension isn’t enough. This type of stuff should be cleaned up.
  • Milwaukee Brewers Manager Ken Macha • Regarding his star hitter, Prince Fielder, and the tirade he was involved in on Tuesday night. Fielder, after getting beaned with a baseball by Guillermo Mota, attempted to enter the L.A. Dodgers clubhouse to attack him. It’s not the first time Mota’s been involved in this kind of brawl because of a noggin-knocking pitch. In 2003, he did something similar to Mike Piazza, who reacted similarly. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Aug 2009 10:35

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Sports: Steve McNair will be ever-present for the Titans this season

  • His number, 9, will adorn the team’s helmets this year. The Tennessee Titans, still reeling from the loss of their most iconic player, will use their helmets to remember him (among other ways). The back-of-the-helmet decals will definitely help keep his memory alive for many. But it’s his loss – a shocking death in a murder-suicide – that’s still fresh in the minds of many. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Aug 2009 10:26

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Tech: Your diet of media on Twitter is littered with bots

  • 24% of Tweets are made by bots (but not at @shortformblog, guys!); many are from spambots, but many are legitimate source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Aug 2009 10:15

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Tech: Will Wright wants to go from game-maker to multihyphenate

  • We’re taking the idea that you can have a million people engaged not just in entertainment, but also have them creating huge amounts of content for other people to experience. The question is how can you transfer that to other fields besides games.
  • “The Sims” creator Will Wright • Discussing the possibilities of taking the more experimental ideas in his games – also including “Spore,” perhaps the most overhyped non-“Halo” game of all time – and trying to push them in other portions of the entertainment spectrum. He used the phrase “entertainment designer.” For those of you who get much joy out of seeing ultra-successful famous people possibly fail, keep an eye on Will Wright. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Aug 2009 09:26

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U.S.: Obama’s poll numbers are currently sinking like a stone

  • -7% decline in Obama’s approval rating since his 100th day source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

06 Aug 2009 01:48

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Offbeat: A famous koala dies. OK, pretty much the only famous one.

  • Say it ain’t so, Sam! Sam the koala became famous earlier this year after being offered a water bottle in the midst of the Australian brushfires. A photographer took a shot of it and it ended up plastered in papers around the world. Unfortunately, Sam had the same problem that many koalas have in the part of Australia he lived: Chlamydia. The disease ravaged the population of Victoria, Australia’s koalas, and it got Sam, too. Hopefully koala heaven is full of firefighters and full of water bottles. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Aug 2009 01:12

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Biz, Sports: “Phil Mickelson, what’s next for you?” “I’m buying a Waffle House!”

  • Tending to his wife The last six weeks saw Phil Mickelson far away from golf, tending to his wife Amy and his mom, who have both been fighting cancer. He’s glad to be back at it again. “We’ve had a great six weeks,” he said. “We’re in a much better place now than we were. I’m excited about that. I’m excited about the chance to play a little golf, too.” source
  • Tending to his wife The last six weeks saw Phil Mickelson far away from golf, tending to his wife Amy and his mom, who have both been fighting cancer. He’s glad to be back at it again. “We’ve had a great six weeks,” he said. “We’re in a much better place now than we were. I’m excited about that. I’m excited about the chance to play a little golf, too.”
  • Tending to his waffles While his mind’s been off the golf links, his mind’s apparently been on sausage links. Tiger’s greatest foe is part of a group looking to buy SouthEast Waffles, a bankrupt franchisee of 105 Waffle House restaurants. One of his partners was CEO of the company that makes the VeggieTales series. Seriously. We can’t make this up. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Aug 2009 00:55

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Biz, Tech: Radio Shack wants you to forget that it sells radios sometimes

Just because you guys completely alienated the hobbyist segment of your customer base doesn’t mean a cute thumb is gonna make us forget it. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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