Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

29 Sep 2010 21:55

tags

U.S.: My work is done here: Prop. 8 judge Vaughn Walker retiring

  • He’s only going to be remembered for that one case. Vaughn Walker had a long career as a judge in California, but it’s a decision he made in August that made him famous. Walker, the chief judge of the Northern District of California, struck down Proposition 8 using a tightly-written decision that law scholars are going to be reading for decades to come. Walker’s second act? He doesn’t have one. He’s retiring at the end of the year. Might as well go out on top. Bravo, dude. Have fun playing golf. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Sep 2010 21:06

tags

Culture: Reviews: “The Social Network” receives epic amount of praise

  • » What Roger Ebert says: If you only trust Roger Ebert like us, you can feel free to know that this is in fact the movie of the century: “David Fincher’s film has the rare quality of being not only as smart as its brilliant hero, but in the same way. It is cocksure, impatient, cold, exciting and instinctively perceptive.” So yeah, we’ll be at the theater on Friday wearing a “Free Zuckerberg” shirt.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Sep 2010 20:37

tags

Politics: Did Meg Whitman ditch her undocumented housekeeper?

  • I was shocked and hurt that Ms. Whitman would treat me this way after nine years. I realized at that moment that she didn’t appreciate my work. I felt like she was throwing me away like a piece of garbage.
  • Meg Whitman’s former housekeeper Nicky Diaz • Showing up a couple days before October to prevent herself from becoming an “October surprise.” See, Diaz, an undocumented immigrant, was the California gubernatorial candidate’s housekeeper for nine years, only to be unceremoniously fired in an attempt by Whitman to hide the fact for political reasons. “From now on you don’t know me and I don’t know you,” Diaz claims Whitman said to her back in 2009. Whitman, who is generally very free-spending, reportedly didn’t pay some of Diaz’s wages. And who’s Diaz’s lawyer? That’s right. Gloria Allred. If this is true, Meg’s so screwed. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Sep 2010 20:24

tags

U.S.: Rutgers student caught on webcam, later jumps off bridge

  • Guy on the left asks for some privacy. Guy in the middle leaves his webcam on and goes to visit girl on the right. Guy on left, thinking he has privacy, makes out with his boyfriend. Guy in center tweets about what he found. Three days later, guy on left jumps off of bridge and kills himself. Rutgers student Tyler Clementi’s death is very postmodern and sad. Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei should be totally ashamed, if not more. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Sep 2010 20:07

tags

Culture: Greg Giraldo’s dead, and he has nothing nice to say about it

  • An insult comic, in the modern sense. It’s been a tough month for hard-living acid-tongued comics. First, Robert Schimmel died at the beginning of the month, and now Greg Giraldo has died of an accidental prescription drug overdose at the gone-too-soon age of 44. While Giraldo had a career outside of these roasts (among other things, he was a panelist on “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn,” a featured player on numerous other Comedy Central shows, and most recently a judge on “Last Comic Standing”), this is the setting where he really, truly shined. R.I.P. man. We’ll keep insulting people for you. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Sep 2010 11:09

tags

World: That’s a relief: “Mumbai-style” terror attack foiled in Europe

  • then A major terror attack on the Indian city of Mumbai killed hundreds and left a city and country shaken.
  • now Similar terror attacks in Europe were plotted, but authorities got word of them ahead of time.
  • later? Authorities have noted that there has been a higher level of terror activity lately. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Sep 2010 10:56

tags

Politics: James O’Keefe tries to punk CNN reporter, fails miserably

  • I never intended to become part of the story. But things suddenly took a very strange turn.
  • CNN correspondent Abbie Boudreau • On nearly getting punked by @(&#(&!) (@&!(!( James O’Keefe. O’Keefe apparently wanted to meet the reporter, alone, and pretend to hit on her in an overtly sexual way in a room complete with props (“condom jar, dildos, posters and paintings of naked women, fuzzy handcuffs”), then tape the whole thing for a hit piece. Boudreau was doing a piece on O’Keefe and other conservative activists, by the way. Is it us, or did this guy get lucky once (with completely inaccurate information) and is now just a piece of scum on the American culture? Seriously, James. Go away. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

29 Sep 2010 10:41

tags

Culture: “Star Wars,” which we’ve never seen, getting the 3D treatment

  • good George Lucas’ Lusasfilm is going to release the “Star Wars” series in 3D starting in 2012, meaning it’ll be back in theaters.
  • bad They’re starting with “The Phantom Menace.” Dear Mr. Lucas, you should probably forget the last three movies existed.* source
  • * Disclosure: The staff of ShortFormBlog is basing that comment on the comments of many other people, because we’ve never actually seen any of the “Star Wars” movies. Out of principle.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Sep 2010 10:33

tags

World: Europeans freak out about austerity in Brussels

These guys say they were in on the whole anti-austerity thing too, but they really just wanted to dress up like ghosts. Boo! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Sep 2010 10:23

tags

World: A Canadian judge just made prostitution a lot more legal

  • Pimpin’ ain’t easy, but it beats being on the streets. That’s the decision an Ontario judge made in legalizing prostitution, pimping, soliciting and running brothels. The decision came at the behest of three prostitutes who went to court claiming that being on the streets put them in danger. The judge agreed, suggesting the laws on the books didn’t guarantee “the right to life, liberty and security.” You know, Judge Susan Himel, they could NOT DO IT and still have those rights. Anyway, the decision legalizes prostitution in Ontario within 30 days, but the Canadian government is thinking about appealing. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
top tags
older >>