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31 May 2010 11:26

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Biz, U.S.: Companies trying to “Slapp” out online criticism with lawsuits

  • SLAPP means “strategic lawsuit against public participation.” The whole theory behind it is that people complain in public about a company’s service, and the company sues to get them to shut up. In prior eras, this may have meant speaking out at a city council meeting. Now, it means tweeting about bad service or putting up a Facebook group. Here’s the fate one guy met.

 

  • $118 the amount Justin Kurtz had to pay after a towing company wrongly towed his car from his own apartment complex
  • 12k the number of people who joined “Kalamazoo Residents against T&J Towing”; 800 joined in the first two days alone
  • $750k the amount the towing company sued the Western Michigan University student for defamation source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 May 2010 11:11

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World: In Pakistan, a bunch of jets nail a bunch of militant hideouts

  • 42+ insurgents were killed in
    the attacks today
  • 18+ militants were injured in the
    attacks in the Orakzai region source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 May 2010 10:57

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Politics: It’s official: @_____GlobalPR is an effective Twitter protest tool

  • Regarding the Gaza flotilla incident, please rest assured that we will not be suffering the consequences of our actions
  • The initial tweet from @IsraelGlobalPR • Regarding the Gaza flotilla incident that’s got Israel in hot water this morning. Clearly modeled after @BPGlobalPR, it even parodies that Twitter account. “At least our Top Kill was successful, @BPGlobalPR,” they wrote about an hour ago. Not a good sign for your industry/country when this type of protest crops up. It’s incredibly effective. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 May 2010 10:56

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Politics, World: Twitter’s in a #freeiran-like tizzy over the Gaza flotilla incident



Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 May 2010 10:44

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World: Israel kills a bunch of pro-Palestinian activists, pisses off Turkey

  • A very harrowing clip to watch. Israel just stepped in it, big time. For the last three years, Israel has been enforcing a blockade on the Hamas-led Gaza Strip. When a series of ships from Turkey full of activists and supplies tried to get past the blockade, the situation got incredibly violent, with at least ten deaths. Now Israel has completely pissed off their only Muslim ally in the Middle East, along with much of the rest of the world. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 May 2010 10:27

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Tech: Apple’s iPads are selling like flat glass and aluminum hotcakes

  • 2 million sold in just 60 days; they’re totally just showing off source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 May 2010 10:21

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Offbeat: Protip: Google’s walking directions could get you hit by a car

  • Park City, Utah resident Lauren Rosenberg is an idiot. Rosenberg was trying to walk from one side of town to the other and ended up on a highway without a sidewalk. She kept following Google’s instructions on her BlackBerry and (surprise) got hit by a car. Now she’s suing for $100,000. OK, we understand that Google’s walking directions may perhaps be a little off sometimes, but when does common sense step in? (Groan.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

31 May 2010 10:10

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World: Asian countries still upset about “Everybody Draw Mohammad Day”

  • pakistan After being blocked for nearly two weeks, the country is ready to open Facebook’s floodgates again – minus the controversial pages.
  • bangladesh On Sunday, the country enacted a temporary ban on Facebook to get rid of the pages; they made it clear it was only to hide the pages.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 May 2010 10:02

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World: German president Horst Köhler resigns, we get to use “ö” in a story

  • A country of our size, with its focus on exports and thus reliance on foreign trade, must be aware that military deployments are necessary in an emergency to protect our interests, for example, when it comes to trade routes, for example, when it comes to preventing regional instabilities that could negatively influence our trade, jobs and incomes.
  • German president Horst Köhler • In the statement that led to the downfall of his presidency. The quote suggested that Germany was in Afghanistan for economic reasons, which might’ve been a little too true for some. Now Köhler is out, which isn’t as big a deal as it sounds. Chancellor Angela Merkel wears the pantsuit in this relationship and the German president is merely a ceremonial position. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 May 2010 01:00

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Offbeat: Icelandic politics so bad, comedy parties are winning elections

  • Reykjavik better hope these jokers actually bring Disneyland. Tina Turner, eat your heart out. This commercial is not only laugh-out-loud hilarious, it was incredibly effective, too. Jón Gnarr of “The Best Party” got more than he bargained for when his just-created party won 34.7% of the vote in the city’s local election, topping everyone else and securing six out of the 15 city council seats. Gnarr has the comic sensibility of Ricky Gervais without the use of the letter C. (And more promises of towels.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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