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18 Feb 2010 21:20

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Tech: Paige Williams reflects on her “Radiohead journalism” concept

  • 5,000 number of people who read Paige Williams’ story on the survivalist Dolly Freed
  • 160 number of people who paid using a pay-what-you-want “Radiohead journalism” model
  • $1,500amount of money she made from those 160 people – some paid $100; neat source
  • » Her take?: Williams made her money back from the endeavor, but she realizes that this model might not be for everyone, and might need some work. “Institutional backing confers credibility,” she notes, “but in the wilds of the Internet, you’re on your own; trust begins and ends with you and your standards and approach.”
  • » A couple thoughts from us: Where does the ethics line hit for something like this? Many bloggers in Williams’ position might set up an Amazon affiliates account and link to where you can buy the book, which would be a great source of income for her. We considered this when we first heard about it. Personally, that doesn’t bother us, but is it too direct? source

18 Feb 2010 21:02

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Biz: The feds raise the interest rate, but claim it’s not a big thang

  • .5% the interest rate between December 2008 and today
  • .75% the interest rate as of today; not much else changes source

18 Feb 2010 20:52

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World: Investigators: Chinese universities the root of Google’s hack attacks

  • One of the two schools is tied to the Chinese military. The National Security Administration’s investigation into Google’s hacking claims has led to Shanghai Jiaotong University and the Lanxiang Vocational School. Jiaotong in particular has one of the country’s strongest computer science programs, while Lanxiang is directly tied to the Chinese military. What does this mean all mean? It means that it may have been rooted in China even if the government itself wasn’t involved. This could get interesting. source

18 Feb 2010 20:37

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Politics: Plane-crasher Joe Stack: Terrorism or a really pissed off crazy dude?

  • I know this guy wasn’t part of al Qaida or a white power group, but how can this not qualify as an act of terrorism given the obvious political motive, however nutty it was?
  • True/Slant blogger Michael Roston • Discussing crazy guy Joe Stack, who crashed a plane into an Austin, Tx. IRS building today. Nobody was killed except for Stack, but for whatever reason, the case isn’t being treated like a terrorism thang despite the fact that it looks like, smells like, and quacks like a duck. Roston isn’t alone in debating the political implications of this insane case, with this guy getting tied to liberals, tea partiers, conservatives, and anyone that won’t have him. Personally, we’d stick him with the Lyndon LaRouche company just because we need to stick him somewhere. source

18 Feb 2010 13:00

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18 Feb 2010 12:04

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U.S.: From the scene: Austin office building crash live video

  • Early word was that the plane hit an FBI office building, but it appears to have hit NEAR an FBI office building instead, which is less bad. MyFox Austin has a live stream of what’s going on. Fingers crossed for Austin residents. source

18 Feb 2010 11:52

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18 Feb 2010 11:12

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U.S.: Accuser in Duke lacrosse case charged with some crazy stuff

  • Crystal Mangum, the Duke lacrosse rape accuser, was charged with attempted murder in a domestic abuse case in Durham, N.C., after getting in a violent confrontation with her boyfriend Milton Walker and setting his clothes on fire in a bathtub. Above is her police mugshot. We expect this photo to get shown on TV a lot today. source

18 Feb 2010 11:02

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Biz: Jobless claims, prices increase, make investors super-depressed

  • 31,000 new jobless claims this week, which was way higher than expected
  • 1.4% increase in farm and factory prices, caused by higher energy costs source

18 Feb 2010 10:56

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U.S.: Amy Bishop had a case of Amazon Fever, John Irving worship

  • Her unpublished novel“Amazon Fever” holds some clues to her mental state. In “Fever,” the main character, Olivia, is an Alabama professor who attempts to revive her career by going to the Amazon and trying to figure out why a strange disease is killing monkeys.
  • her anxieties Peppered within, though, are anxieties that seem to be Bishop’s own – mainly about being a successful scientist. It’s something Bishop may have struggled with – a Harvard graduate, she was at a small-time university and was embarrassed of her beat-up car.
  • her second cousinThe suspect in the University of Alabama-Huntsville shootings, who had been denied tenure, was also a second cousin of novelist John Irving, writer of “The Cider House Rules.” Friends say that, along with her Harvard pedigree, made her a wee bit arrogant. source