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28 Dec 2009 11:15

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World: Pakistan bombing: Karachi targeted in third attack in three days

  • 25+ were killed in the attack, which hit a Shi’ite religious procession in the country’s commercial capital
  • 50+ were wounded; sources say the attacks are meant to destabilize the country source

28 Dec 2009 11:01

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Culture: The New York Times breaks your decade down into icons

In this “Op-Chart,” graphic designer Phillip Niemeyer tells the story of the decade using nothing but cute little icons. Even for Abu Ghraib. source

28 Dec 2009 10:52

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Tech: Was this decade the “Search Decade”? Here’s why it might be.

  • Our searches tell the story of the decade. They show sometimes what we need, but always what we want; sometimes who we strive to be, but always who we really are.
  • St. Petersburg Times writer Michael Kruse • Arguing why this decade was the “Search Decade” – which, of the many descriptions we’ve heard this week, probably makes the most sense. We’re a society that searches for everything, not the least of which bigger answers. And Google has become the center of so many of our lives that, really, could it be anything else? source

28 Dec 2009 10:41

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Biz: Ho, ho, ho! Holiday spending at retail was up this year, guys

  • 3.6% increase in retail sales over last year; yay source

28 Dec 2009 10:35

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World: Amsterdam’s airport says Nigerian terror suspect passed security

  • Was he checked? Yes, Dutch authorities say Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab went through security checkpoints. In fact, they note that Nigerian travelers go through strong security when flying because of fears of fraud.
  • What was the weak point? From the sound of things, airport security could not detect the materials on him because they weren’t made of metal. Which means that we’re going to start seeing full body scans soon. source

28 Dec 2009 10:23

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World: Was Iran opposition martyr Ali Mousavi’s body taken away?

  • That’s what his family is saying. Mousavi, the slain nephew of Mir Hossein Mousavi, had his body taken from a local hospital after he was killed yesterday. “My brother’s body was taken away from the hospital and we cannot find it,” Mousavi’s brother, Seyed Reza Mousavi, said. “We cannot have a funeral before we find the body.” Also worth noting: Andrew Sullivan has a pretty interesting explanation of why Ali Mousavi’s martyrdom matters. source

28 Dec 2009 10:08

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World: Some quick (likely to change) numbers from Iran’s protests

  • 15 have been reported killed, according to Iran’s state television
  • 60 more have been reported injured in yesterday’s protests
  • 300 have been arrested, including seven prominent aides source
 

28 Dec 2009 10:01

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World: Another tough, depressing day for Iran’s opposition

  • What has happened to this religious system that it orders the killing of innocent people during the holy day of Ashura?
  • Iranian reformist candidate Mehdi Karroubi • Asking a pretty damn obvious question in the wake of one of the most violent and deadly days of protest since the Iranian election. It’s gotten to the point that aides to Mir Hussein Mousavi (the guy who nearly won the presidential election) and Ibrahim Yazdi (who leads the banned Iran Freedom Movement) have been arrested. Shameful. Mousavi’s own nephew, Ali Mousavi, died in the protests yesterday, creating a Neda-like flash point. source

27 Dec 2009 23:27

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Politics: Max Headroom: Two Peters make a homeland security sandwich


  • Finger-Pointing Rep. Peter Hoekstra seems ready to stick a fork in Obama’s handling of terrorism on Fox News, blaming his staff for downplaying the threat. We think it’s a bit overblown.

  • “The System Worked” Of course, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano disagrees with Rep. Hoekstra’s assessment, and she was on CNN trying to calm the American public’s frayed nerves.

  • “No it didn’t, Janet” Rep. Peter King, looking like he’s going to rip someone to shreds, totally disagrees with Janet Napolitano’s assessment, but says that they need to work towards a bipartisan solution.

27 Dec 2009 21:14

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Offbeat: Clever bastards invert the Nigerian 419 scam, actually pay out

  • Because there always must be exceptions to the rule, these guys decided it’d be funny/awesome to write an e-mail like a spam, and offer $10,000, only to pay out as a devilishly amusing Christmas present, presented by the court of awesome. And boy, was the guy shocked when he found out they were actually going to give it to him. He didn’t want it, so they gave it to a Nigerian charity instead. And the cycle begins anew …