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29 Oct 2010 20:21

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Tech: Peace out, Chad Hurley: YouTube co-founder heads for the exit

  • Thanks for the viral memories, Chad. It’s always a sad day when a founder leaves a company, as Chad Hurley is about to do with YouTube. Especially when the company runs one of the three most important sites on the entire Web (along with Google proper and Facebook). Hurley, who has enough money under his belt that he probably never has to work ever again, has earned the chance to do something else. He’s been replaced as chief executive by Salar Kamangar, currently the company’s vice president of product management and the guy who’s been doing much of the grunt work over the last couple of years. Kamangar has made the company nearly profitable, yeah, but Hurley made it relevant. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

29 Oct 2010 17:28

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Politics: Gawker Media: Great job being all classy about Christine O’Donnell

  • Let’s get it on the record: We were really uncomfortable with posting anything about Gawker’s Christine O’Donnell get yesterday. For lots of reasons. First, she’s going to lose next week almost assuredly, and it’s just kicking her while she’s down. Second, the anonymous dude who wrote it is a vile human being. Third, he wrote some nasty things about her. Fourth, and this is the most important one, we don’t want to give Gawker the traffic for this story. This is so loaded with classlessness all around that it’s entirely possible that people might vote for her on Tuesday out of remorse. She’s had a rough few weeks, and she might get some votes out of this. For the love of God, Gawker. This woman is allowed to be a human being. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Oct 2010 17:11

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U.S.: The U.S. spends LOTS of money on intelligence, defense

  • $80.1
    billion     the amount the U.S. spent on intelligence in 2010
  • $664
    billion     the amount the U.S. spends on its total defense budget source
  • » Why this is a big deal: Two reasons. First of all, the intelligence spending numbers were never reported during the most recent Bush Administration – this is the first time we’ve gotten new numbers here in nearly a decade. Secondly, the intelligence budget has effectively doubled in the ten years – which makes sense if, you know, you account for 9/11 happening in the meantime. If you’re a high-spending government looking for something to cut to correct years of fiscal irresponsibility, though, this might be a good spot to look.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Oct 2010 16:54

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U.S.: Freakout Friday: YES. THERE WERE EXPLOSIVE DEVICES. YIKES.

  • yes The packages involved on two flights from Yemen to the U.S. contained explosives.
  • yes The packages in question were addressed to religious locations – including a synagogue.
  • no The device shown here – intercepted in London – was in fact not an explosive device. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Oct 2010 16:36

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Biz, U.S.: Here comes the denial: Halliburton sez they didn’t cause oil spill

  • Halliburton does not believe that the foam cement design used on the Macondo well was the cause of the incident.
  • A statement from Halliburton • Responding to the Senate committee report that suggested that their handiwork was a cause of the Gulf Oil Spill. Their take? While Halliburton admits that they didn’t do a key stability test, BP was to blame for a poor design process (an angle they’ve held onto since the spill first happened). And, worse, BP didn’t perform a critical cement bond log test. Also, both BP and Transocean misinterpreted the results of a negative pressure test – a misinterpretation that proved deadly for the workers on the rig. There are a lot of complicated details here, but the point you should take from this is that everyone is blaming everyone else. Which is understandable. Have you seen the rage caused by this oil spill? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Oct 2010 16:00

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Politics: Can you wear WWE garb to support Linda McMahon at the polls?

  • YES you can dress up like Hulk Hogan at the polls in CT source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

29 Oct 2010 15:44

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U.S.: Freakout Friday: All planes from Yemen scare Americans

  • Scared of your own shadow yet? Today might be the day to start freaking out. Whew … a lot has happened since our last post. First of all, above is the suspicious device that CNN managed to get photos of as an exclusive. It apparently had some sort of weird powder on it. Next up, the U.S. is keeping an eye on a Emirates Air flight from Yemen that’s supposed to be landing in NYC any minute now. (Update: Just landed. No word on what’s up yet.) While they have no proof that the plane might have some blowy-uppy stuff on it, now is not the time to take chances. Finally, Chicago synogagues have been warned to keep an eye out for crazy crap on their doorsteps, because we don’t want people to get hurt or anything. Holy crap. Hope this doesn’t get any worse or we’re gonna have to get rid of the “Freakout Friday” slogan. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

29 Oct 2010 12:14

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U.S.: Classy guy reportedly waterboarded his girlfriend for some reason

  • rationalBeing upset that your girlfriend is possibly cheating on you with another guy. Understandable.
  • irrational Allegedly tying her to a couch and waterboarding her. Can we just say, domestic abuse? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Oct 2010 12:04

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Politics: Noted Bush-haters Valerie Plame, Joe Wilson also dislike Obama

  • The idea that you can continue to keep human beings in detention offshore is an insult to us as a civil society and everything we stand for. I think the same thing can be said about the clandestine renditions. We need to shine a light on all of that and let it lead us where it may.
  • Former U.S. diplomat (and husband of Valerie Plame) Joe Wilson • Ripping on the Obama administration for not doing enough to stop Bush-era methods of security, including closing the base at Guantanamo Bay. Some of this is, of course, personal: Wilson’s wife was outed as a spy by members of the Bush Administration after Wilson publicly doubted the administration’s reasons for starting the Iraq war. Still interesting, though, that they’re ripping on Obama for this, too. In other news, the couple is about to get the Hollywood treatment – “Fair Game,” starring Naomi Watts and SEAN FREAKING PENN, sounds like an awards-season racehorse. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Oct 2010 11:49

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U.S.: Freakout Friday: Planes contain “suspicious items” from Yemen

  • ChicagoA plane headed from Yemen to Chicago – a common trip, of course – had a strange device on it that raised suspicions.
  • NewarkA UPS plane from Yemen reportedly contained suspicious items, as did a UPS truck that made it to NYC. Scary.
  • PhillyAnother UPS plane in Philly also contained suspicious items, and workers were checked just in case. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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