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11 Dec 2010 22:05

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Culture: Elizabeth Edwards remembered warmly during funeral

  • She would do anything in the world to protect all of us, no matter what the personal cost was to her.
  • Catharine Edwards • Speaking during a eulogy for her mother, Elizabeth.  As you might guess, today was a particularly somber day for the Edwards family, but it was one that the family was well-prepared for. Elizabeth wrote a years-in-the-works letter to her kids which included this message: “You are complete joy to me. I hope you will always know that. Wherever I am, wherever you are, I have my arms wrapped around you.” If only more parents cared this much about their families. In related news, John Edwards was there, too. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2010 21:48

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U.S.: WHOOOOO!!! We hear it’s kinda cold out there, Minnesotans

In case you live in a sheltered part of the country, here’s a reminder that it’s December: An obligatory link to a Minneapolis Star-Tribune snow story. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2010 21:29

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Politics: Terrible idea in retrospect: Richard Nixon saying racist things on tape

  • My own view is I think he’s right if you’re talking in terms of 500 years. I think it’s wrong if you’re talking in terms of 50 years. What has to happen is they have be, frankly, inbred. And, you just, that’s the only thing that’s going to do it, Rose.
  • Former president Richard Nixon • Talking on his just-released audio files about black people. Does that sound racist to you? Well, that’s because it’s pretty racist-sounding. It’s one line from 265 hours worth of tapes, and since we know you’re not going to dig through all of them, let this be the main message you take from these tapes: Nixon taped himself saying racist things. On tape. (And he says worse things abut Jews.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2010 21:03

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U.S.: Military treats Wikileaks problem with lame, TSA-style solution

  • problem Bradley Manning reportedly took thousands of classified documents off government networks by pretending the CD he was burning to was actually a Lady Gaga CD, then gave them to Wikileaks.
  • solution? Rather than focus on the fact that the system created a loose cannon, the military has banned soldiers from using thumb drives or other portable storage devices. Ahh … the TSA approach to security. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2010 20:07

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Culture: A sad story of childbirth and death, told through Facebook

  • A heartbreaking tale, told in a postmodern way. Shana Swers of Gaithersburg, Md. wanted to reveal the joy of her childbirth to the world, but the medical complications that followed meant that she would never be able to live to enjoy the motherhood that came along with it. Beyond the story itself, what’s fascinating is the way that The Washington post presents it – as a Facebook stream. This is one of the best story layouts we’ve seen the Post do online. It’s a shame that it had to come with a story so heartbreaking. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

11 Dec 2010 15:34

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Culture: David Wojnarowicz: An AIDS victim still caught in the culture wars

  • (Note: The video above contains disturbing images and is NSFW.) In the wake of “A Fire in My Belly” getting removed from the Smithsonian for its imagery of Jesus covered in ants, The Washington Post has a very heartfelt essay on the man who created it, David Wojnarowicz. Wojnarowicz, who died of AIDS in 1992, was an artist at the height of the culture wars who often found his work being co-opted by those who disliked it – which, most notably, led to him suing the American Family Association for misrepresenting his work. The man who pressured the Smithsonian to remove “A Fire in My Belly,” William Donohue of the Catholic League, has a long history of complaining about things he doesn’t like. It’s too bad, though, that the man who created these images – a complex figure to put it lightly (just watch the clip above, as powerful and emotionally affecting as it is difficult to watch) – was lost in the middle. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2010 15:00

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Culture: Elizabeth Edwards’ funeral: Many guests, few crazy protesters

  • 1,200 number of mourners that went to Elizabeth Edwards’ funeral today; John Edwards was in attendance
  • five number of Westboro Baptist Church protesters that showed up; why are they worth our attention again? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

11 Dec 2010 14:47

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U.S.: Obama official Richard Holbrooke in critical condition post-surgery

Holbrooke, Obama’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, is recovering from emergency surgery to repair a tear in his aorta, which is a really bad spot for a tear. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2010 14:12

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Culture: Winona Ryder doesn’t use the Internet for some stupid reason

  • I don’t use the internet, but apparently you can find out everything on it.
  • Winona Ryder • Explaining that she never uses the internet outside of her Blackberry (for e-mail). “I have my e-mail on my BlackBerry, and that’s about it. I’ve never read a blog, ever,” she says. Her reasoning? Because she’s fucking weird Because she doesn’t want to take the suspense out of seeing a movie. Hey, Ms. Ryder, you know people use the internet for other things besides reading Perez Hilton, right? Perhaps this is why you haven’t had many major roles in the last decade. Just saying. (On a side note, she has an iPad; Ron Howard got her one after the filming of her upcoming movie, “The Dilemma,” wrapped.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2010 10:27

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Biz: Bernie Madoff’s son, under investigation himself, commits suicide

  • 12/11/08 Mark Madoff, after learning his dad was running an immense Ponzi scheme that was falling apart, turns him into authorities
  • 12/11/10 Mark Madoff, who was under investigation in the case, commits suicide in his Manhattan apartment; this is very sad source
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