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08 Sep 2009 20:10

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Culture: The truth about “Destination Truth”: It’s not very good

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Ok, we’ll admit when we’re wrong. It may take a bit of waterboarding and pulled fingernails, but we’ll do it. The clip that the Not-Sci-Fi sent for "Eureka" was a tease to the actual point of the episode: Carter gettin’ some. We’re sorry, PR people. But to punish us with a full episode of "Destination: Truth"? Since we didn’t know the show, the elaborate press kit caught our eye with its slick packaging, so we took a look at its third-season premiere.
  • A package deal In a nutshell: Paranormal Travel show in the vein of Ghosthunters, featuring “paranormal researcher” Joshua Gates and his team investigating claims of the supernatural, mainly in the area of cryptozoology. A team filled with AV techs and not a single person with any scientific background. source
  • A package deal In a nutshell: Paranormal Travel show in the vein of Ghosthunters, featuring “paranormal researcher” Joshua Gates and his team investigating claims of the supernatural, mainly in the area of cryptozoology. A team filled with AV techs and not a single person with any scientific background.
  • The best bits The first part where the team gets to the remote location and the last bit with the actual experts. Gates and his crew are going to some truly remote areas, and aren’t traveling in first class. In the first part of our preview, the top of a plane ripped off. Happens every time we fly, guys. source
  • A package deal In a nutshell: Paranormal Travel show in the vein of Ghosthunters, featuring “paranormal researcher” Joshua Gates and his team investigating claims of the supernatural, mainly in the area of cryptozoology. A team filled with AV techs and not a single person with any scientific background.
  • The best bits The first part where the team gets to the remote location and the last bit with the actual experts. Gates and his crew are going to some truly remote areas, and aren’t traveling in first class. In the first part of our preview, the top of a plane ripped off. Happens every time we fly, guys.
  • And … The end of each episode involves actual scientists going over the “evidence”. In this case, each of them at points telling him he was making facts fit his conclusions, and one clearly wondering why he wanted to identify chicken and a cow bones. Watch it tonight at 10 on Not-Sci-Fi. source

08 Sep 2009 11:26

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Offbeat: It’s not a badger, it’s a rat: Giant new species discovered

This ugly little beast, the Bosavi woolly rat, will be the first victim of the Catstravaganza tomorrow. source

08 Sep 2009 11:17

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Culture: Trip report: Propofol (just like Michael Jackson!)

  • Propofol didn’t just make me sleepy; it made me feel as if my soul had been detached from my body and was resting just above it, on a cloud of marshmallow fluff, sweet and achingly tender.
  • “The Root” contributor Angie Chuang • Describing her usage of propofol during a colonoscopy, the way it’s supposed to be used. Michael Jackson, who overdosed on it, reportedly used it to sleep, which she says is “bull@(%^.” Chuang suggests, based on her usage, that Jackson may not have been taking it for the sedative elements but the “catharsis. … Not the sleep, but the escape.” He wasn’t loved enough late in life, so he probably wanted a temporary out, she suggests. • source

08 Sep 2009 11:06

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Culture, World: Daily Poll: Oliver Stone’s love letter to Latin America

  • Oliver Stone’s new movie, “South of the Border,” openly courts controversy in the way only an Oliver Stone movie can. It suggests that media outside of Latin America has been manipulated and that countries like Venezuela are really not that bad. It’s a big wet kiss to Hugo Chavez. Is he right? Is he wrong? Vote.source

08 Sep 2009 10:53

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Offbeat: This little piggy had bacon rage and ran away from home

  • Someday, this boy will watch this video on YouTube and realize how much of a jerk he really was to this woman who was simply trying to get him to eat healthy. The best part of the video was when he said she couldn’t run in her high heels.source

08 Sep 2009 10:41

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Offbeat: She said yes. Then she fell down a rocky incline.

  • That must have been a heck of a proposal. I believe she did [say yes] … If she didn’t, I think we ought to investigate this one.
  • Montgomery County, Maryland Fire and Rescue Service Assistant Chief Scott Graham • On a proposal with a romantic beginning but a rocky, bizarre end. During a hike, a guy asked for his girlfriend’s hand in marriage. Then she fell down a rocky incline (just like Homer Simpson) and had to be rescued via helicopter. At some point during the hike, she said yes. While she lost consciousness for a little while, her injuries weren’t serious. • source

08 Sep 2009 10:28

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World: Afghanistan’s election results are officially a bad joke

  • 54.1% Hamid Karzai’s share of the vote with 92% of all votes counted – enough for him to avoid a runoff source
 

08 Sep 2009 10:17

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Music: Alejandro Fernández: Proof Sony doesn’t respect musicians’ rights

  • He gave them seven albums. They compiled an eighth against his wishes. Mexican pop star Alejandro Fernández found himself on the wrong side of music industry sketchiness recently when his former label, decided to release an album without him, which would effectively force Fernández – who is about to release two albums on his new label, Universal Music – to compete against himself. After a court battle, Mexican authorities intervened and seized recordings from Sony Music’s Mexico office to prevent the release. Even so, the move was incredibly sketchy on Sony’s part. source

08 Sep 2009 10:02

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U.S.: Obama’s education speech: Officially capitalist, not socialist

  • And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. … You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
  • President Barack Obama • In lengthy prepared remarks to students, which he’ll say later today. Obama’s been getting lots of unfounded criticism lately about attempting to indoctrinate the kids into socialism with his speech. Yeah, whatever. This speech is as American as apple pie and tea bagging. • source

08 Sep 2009 09:01

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Culture: Celebrity photog Annie Leibovitz could lose her photos today

  • $24 million debt to repay, by today, or her images aren’t hers source