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21 Sep 2010 23:52

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Tech: Michael Arrington doesn’t need on-the-record sources, thank you

  • This is a difficult post to write, because I call nearly every person in that room a friend. But these actions are so completely inappropriate it has to be called out.
  • Michael “something happened somewhere” Arrington • Describing a situation which potentially sounds very damaging to a number of angel investors in Silicon Valley. The way Arrington describes it, and he was careful not to name names, was that a group of investors were discussing ways to wield their collective influence to prevent venture capitalists from swooping in, or Y Combinator from getting too much power in the startup sphere. If true, these acts are illegal. Arrington reportedly heard about the discussion, showed up, and watched the room go quiet on him. Caught? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 21:20

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Biz: Bedbug conventions: Itchy hysteria has its own Woodstock

Why is this man smiling? Because he knows he’ll have a job tomorrow. Because he helps people hunt bedbugs, a very in-demand industry. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 21:14

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World: Google’s transparency map: The U.S. firmly at the top, China missing

  • We appreciate Google doing this. Letting people know how governments are censoring or looking into content is important for a free society. However, we do find China’s entry very disappointing. Here’s all it says: “Chinese officials consider censorship demands to be state secrets, so we cannot disclose that information at this time.” That said, take a look at how the U.S. compares to every other country. They’re way ahead of everyone else. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 20:53

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U.S.: Obesity is expensive, but it’s way more expensive for women

  • $4,879 the yearly cost of being obese for women
  • $2,646 the yearly cost of being obese for men source
  • » Why the disparity?: Apparently, it’s because overweight women tend to make less than thin women do, but men suffer from no similar weight tax on their income. The really scary thing, by the way, is that once life expectancy is factored in, the numbers become significantly higher – $8,365 for women and $6,518 for men. Yikes.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 18:10

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Politics: Republicans: We’d rather defund the military than let gays serve in it

  • 3 votes short of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the Senate
  • SENATE DEMOCRATS FAILED to overcome a Republican filibuster of the annual Pentagon authorization bill, which contained a repeal of DODT. Since the bill’s passage is required in order fund the US military, it will likely be brought up again at a later date. Two Democrats, Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln, voted against the bill, as did the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (for parliamentary reasons). source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 1 Comment • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 12:47

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World: Transvestite children in Afghanistan!

  • Some things are happening in Afghanistan that are really not imaginable for you as a Western people.
  • Azita Rafaat • The Afghan mother of three regularly dresses her youngest daughter as a boy when the daughter leaves the house. The practice is common in Afghanistan, where families without male children are of bad repute and gender lines are starkly drawn. It’s not illegal, or even frowned upon, and has possibly been going on for centuries. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 12:43

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Politics, U.S.: Sen. Susan Collins votes her conscience. Just kidding!

  • then Susan Collins, the moderate Republican Senator from Maine, previously voted to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell when the bill was in committee.
  • now Collins still opposes the policy, but because Sen. Harry Reid, the Majority leader, won’t allow unlimited amendments on the bill, she’ll be filibustering the repeal effort.
  • “I think it’s the right thing to do.” That’s how Collins feels about repealing DADT, the controversial policy that prohibits openly gay citizens from serving in the military; ending it is “only fair,” she said today. But Reid is limiting the number of amendments that can be added to the bill containing the repeal, and so she’s voting against it. Funny; if you think the bill does “the right thing,” shouldn’t the procedural stuff be a secondary consideration? After all, you came to the Senate to enact effective policy, not uphold Senate procedure. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 2 Comments • Permalink
 

21 Sep 2010 11:02

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Politics: Stewart and Colbert’s rallies somehow scaring Democrats

  • A lot of people on campus are going. I’m planning to attend it, too. Right now I don’t think we’re worried about an effect on GOTV. The rally is Saturday; Halloween is Sunday. We’re still going to vote on Tuesday.
  • Georgetown University College Democrats spokesperson William Vogt • Suggesting the Democrats’ worst fears – that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s dueling rallies will affect “get out the vote” efforts on the weekend before the election. Dave Weigel, writing about the phenomenon for Slate, seems skeptical. “The Democratic panic is out of whack,” he writes. “Stewart’s rally will attract two kinds of people: The liberals who weren’t going to GOTV anyway, and the liberals who needed this final jolt to reconnect with their elitism.” We’re with him. It’s going to be tough for the Democrats this year, no matter where their voters are on October 30th. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 10:51

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Politics: Group: Tea party, GOP conspiring against Wisconsin voters

  • what A group called One Wisconsin Now claims that the state’s GOP and Tea Party plan to disenfranchise voters using a process called “voter caging.” They also claim to have proof of conspiracy in the form of audio.
  • how Basically, they claim that those involved will use a list of people whose mail was marked as undeliverable to prevent them from voting on election day and to create unbearably long lines. How true is this, anyway? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

21 Sep 2010 10:37

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Politics: Christine O’Donnell’s money problems lead to FEC complaint

O’Donnell has unique financial problems. She hasn’t had a steady job in years and apparently used campaign funds to pay $20,000 in rent and other personal expenses. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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