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10 Dec 2010 21:41

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World: “Openleaks”: Like Wikileaks, only transparent organizationally, too

  • Eventually it ended with me arguing with Julian about basically his dictatorial behavior, which ended with Julian saying to me that if I had problems with him I could just piss off, I quote.
  • Former Icelandic Wikileaks member Herbert Snorrason • Explaining why he chose to help start Openleaks, which sounds to us like the Gnutella to Wikileaks’ Napster. Openleaks, which will start up next week, looks to work less as a single Web site and more as a platform where people can upload anonymously and get their information directly to journalists. And no Julian Assange in sight, either. It’s good to point out that Gnutella is still operating all these years later, while the original Napster died almost immediately. Will this be a game of Julian Assange taking the first arrow but his idea ultimately taking hold? (On a side note, we hope that that thing on Openleaks.org isn’t the logo, because it looks a little … uh, phallic.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Dec 2010 21:10

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Politics: Is Obama learning the martial art of Bill Clinton’s triangulation?

  • So, another theory on this whole tax cut thing – Obama’s taking a cue from Bill Clinton on that whole “trangulation” thing he did in the ’90s – where Clinton gave the GOP some of what they wanted but ended up helping himself in the long run. It’s a theory that the White House bristles at, but the video above, where Bill Clinton essentially took over for Obama today, looks kind of symbolic. Beyond the fact that it’s effing hilarious. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Dec 2010 19:56

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U.S.: Midwest states screw themselves out of high-speed rail money

  • money The federal government gives a lot of money for high-speed rail projects across the country. The benefit could potentially be major.
  • principle Annoyed by having to take the money, Ohio and Wisconsin want to cancel their rail projects and use the cash for roads. The DOT says no.
  • money Know what happens to that money now? It goes to fund other states’ rail projects instead. Man, those states sure showed Obama! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

10 Dec 2010 19:40

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Politics: Bernie Sanders’ filibuster: The Senate gets interesting for a day

  • 516 number of minutes Bernie Sanders and others filibustered in the Senate today (from 10:24 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.)
  • no Sanders’ filibuster, fun as it was to watch, didn’t affect any votes from happening today source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

10 Dec 2010 15:26

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Politics: Robert Gates: “Don’t ask” repeal will be worse if it’s court-ordered

  • My greatest worry will be that we are at the mercy of the courts and all of the lack of predictability that that entails.
  • Defense Secretary Robert Gates • Emphasizing that it’s better for Congress to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” and allow an orderly end to the policy than for the court system to simply force an end to the policy. Yesterday’s vote which failed 57-40, fell apart without any GOP support; Gates was “disappointed in the Senate vote, but not surprised.” Along with just about everyone else looking for a repeal, buddy. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Dec 2010 15:22

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U.S.: Virginia Tech shooting: School liable for sucking at providing information

  • bad A school shooting at Virginia Tech killed 32 and injured many others back in 2007 – the worst school shooting in U.S. history and one noted for the university’s lax response – they didn’t inform students about the gunman until two hours after the first shootings.
  • worse The Department of Education just found that the school broke the Clery Act by being very lax about notifying students about what was going on. They didn’t follow their own internal policies. The school could be fined and may lose federal aid. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Dec 2010 14:53

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U.S.: Obvious kidnapping trial has even more obvious verdict

  • YES the weird bearded dude did kidnap Elizabeth Smart source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

10 Dec 2010 11:32

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World: Prince Charles should’ve rode in the Bentley, not the Rolls Royce

  • It was the sheer conspicuousness of this vehicle in a busy street in the wake of this demonstration that caused the problem.
  • Former royal protection officer Ken Wharfe • Suggesting that the reason that the Royals (Prince Charles and Camilla) were caught up in yesterday’s tuition protests was because they were riding around a very public area in a shiny Rolls Royce limousine, when they should’ve gone with something more modest. “From my own experience, it is a vehicle that is very difficult to manoeuvre in any area, let alone a congested street at Christmas time,” he said. “I do think this was the classic example where the Prince of Wales should have been using his armoured Bentley – it’s far less conspicuous.” Because we all know how much poor people hate rich people who flaunt their overwhelming wealth right in front of them. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Dec 2010 11:20

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Tech: Groupon CEO Andrew Mason holds mastercourse in dodging questions

  • Groupon’s CEO, Andrew Mason, is officially the coolest interviewee ever. He dodges questions like some would paint impressionist art. He answers questions using stories nobody would ever think of bringing up. Matt Lauer has no idea what to make of him. And it’s great. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Dec 2010 10:51

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Politics: Charles Krauthammer: Obama just pulled wool over both parties’ eyes

  • Know how we know the Obama compromise is smarter than it looks? Because you have guys like Charles Krauthammer basically calling him a genius. Krauthammer, a pretty solid conservative guy, suggests that Obama is smarter than his own party, because the tax-cut plan he just put in place is really a massive stimulus in everything but name; yet he’s also smarter than the GOP, because he got them to agree to a massive stimulus by making them think it was a tax cut. “Obama is no fool,” Krauthammer writes. “While getting Republicans to boost his own reelection chances, he gets them to make a mockery of their newfound, second-chance, post-Bush, Tea-Party, this-time-we’re-serious persona of debt-averse fiscal responsibility.” And that, friends, is a pretty entertaining take on the whole mess. But will it go through? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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