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28 Dec 2010 10:57

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Biz: Consumers bought more this Christmas, but not feeling confident

  • good Consumers bought more stuff in the week before Christmas than they did a year earlier – a solid 4.8-percent jump. It’s a great holiday season overall for retail.
  • bad However, consumer confidence managed to fall in December, suggesting that we still in fact have a long way to go before we’re back to normal, guys. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Dec 2010 10:07

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Culture: It’s official: We don’t like Kevin Pollak anymore, guys

  • So, as you might’ve heard, these contestants on “Million Dollar Money Drop” actually answered this question correctly, but Fox had it wrong. They lost $800,000 on the question, and their mojo, immediately afterwards. So, what does host Kevin “I was in two of the three ‘Santa Clause’ movies” Pollak have to say about this? “They never had a chance to win that money. Ever. No matter what. They got the last question wrong. None of the clips show the last question.” SIGH. OK, Kevin, we used to like you when you were in the “Grumpy Old Men” movies. We even liked your bit part in “Willow.” But we ain’t backing your meal tickets anymore. You’re officially boycotted. (thanks The Daily What, even though we know we shouldn’t) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Dec 2010 09:56

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Politics: Alvin Greene’s running for office again – this time, more modestly

  • Filing closes (noon Monday), and until that time, someone could pull out or change their mind. People wanting to know more should wait until next week. That’s all I’ve got to say right now.
  • South Carolina joke candidate Alvin Greene • Regarding his apparent decision to run for an open South Carolina state House seat, which opened up after state Rep. Cathy Harvin died earlier this month. In case you’re wondering, the filing fee is a tad cheaper than the $10,500 he paid for his Senate run – a modest $165. So, even though he’s still throwing away money, he has a slightly more realistic chance at winning this time around. But like he said, someone could pull out or change their mind. (thanks Larry Crider) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Dec 2010 09:39

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World: The Ivory Coast nearly couped yesterday – in Paris, that is

These dudes are blocking off the Ivory Coast’s French embassy. Why? Supporters of should-be-winner Alassane Ouattara took it over for a bit yesterday. Uh-oh. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Dec 2010 09:17

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U.S.: How did Bell, California’s city government become so corrupt?

  • The L.a. Times has a lengthy article on Bell’s corruption that’s worth reading. We could go into great detail with the piece, but we think we can probably explain the story best through the starting and ending salary of one of the most corrupt members of Bell’s government, one of seven town officials who took advantage of low voter turnout and high amounts of power to bilk a fairly poor municipality out of $5.5 million. Here’s how much Robert Rizzo made when he started working for the city, and when he stopped:
  • $78,000 Bell city administrator Robert Rizzo’s starting salary in 1993; he was paid $8,000 less than his predecessor and known for cutting things left and right
  • $800,000 Rizzo’s salary just before he lost his job – at which point it became clear he was cheating one of the poorest municipalities in the L.A. area source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

28 Dec 2010 08:56

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Culture: Disney World spying on guests so they can shorten long lines

Disney doesn’t want you bored in line, so they’re researching how to make sure you’re still having fun using an underground command center. Creepy, but cool. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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