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23 Jan 2011 21:50

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Politics: Supreme Court justices may skip this year’s State of the Union

  • last year Obama gave the Supreme Court a piece of his mind during his State of the Union speech, making the justices collectively uncomfortable as he ripped them for hurting campaign finance reform.
  • this year The big statement that the justices could make is whether or not to sit out. Samuel Alito is staying home. John Roberts is undecided but has questioned whether justices should attend anymore. source
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23 Jan 2011 21:41

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Biz: Independent booksellers collectively freaking out over future

  • We have to figure out how we stay in the game. You have to rethink your whole business model, because the old ways really aren’t going to cut it anymore.
  • Manhattan’s Bank Street Bookstore director, Beth Puffer • Discussing the fate of the independent bookseller at the Winter Institute, the equivalent of Bonnaroo for independent bookstores. While the number of independent bookstores has stabilized in recent years after Barnes & Noble and Borders ate their lunch, many changes are on the horizon – some bad enough to take out the big kids in the industry like Borders. Now, what was once an endeavor of stacking books on a shelf and organizing sections is a matter that requires much more – social media, cool Web sites, the whole thang. But, as important as this stuff is becoming, it can’t be everything. “At a certain point, I begin to feel like we don’t need more PR,” said Connecticut-based bookseller RJ Julia’s founder and president, Roxanne Coady. “We need sales.” source
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23 Jan 2011 21:24

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Culture: Ricky Gervais so mean, Judd Apatow now defending Tim Allen

Not only are we still talking about Ricky Gervais’ “Golden Globes” rips, but Judd Apatow is defending TIM ALLEN, who Gervais hilariously compared to living legend Tom Hanks. LOL. source
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23 Jan 2011 21:14

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Tech: App Store milestone winner thought winning phone call was prank

  • The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was a genuine call. The girls were getting quite tense. They never would have forgiven me. They would have held it against me for all eternity.
  • Gail “Thank you very much; I’m not interested” Davis • Revealing that she initially hung up on Apple as they offered her a $10,000 iTunes gift card for downloading the 100 billionth app from the store. Eventually realizing that she was the winner (her daughter downloaded the app), she frantically called back the help desk, getting an unhelpful person, then later got another phone call from Apple’s VP of iTunes. The lesson of this story: In case you’re ever presented with this situation, don’t do this. Alright, interwebs? source
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23 Jan 2011 20:57

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U.S.: Detroit’s violence happening INSIDE police stations now. Yikes

  • 4 officers shot INSIDE of a Detroit police precinct; the gunman died source
  • » A rough weekend for the Motor City: Ten people have been shot and injured or killed in the city in the last three days – the police precinct shooting of course being the most disturbing. One of the officers in today’s shooting was shot in the head, but is talking and moving his arms. The rest suffered minor wounds.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jan 2011 12:21

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Biz: CDs are dying: Sony closing another CD-production factory

  • 277 workers lost their jobs in 2003, after a Springfield, Ore. CD plant (run by Sony) closed
  • 300 workers in Pitman, N.J. will lose their jobs when their CD plant closes on March 31
  • one Sony CD plant (in Terre Haute, Ind.) will exist in the US after that plant closes source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jan 2011 12:08

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World: Mudslides now second-worst disaster in Brazilian history

  • 1,500 died in a meningitis outbreak in the mid-1970s, according to United Nations data
  • 803+ have died in the recent mudslides, caused by a month’s worth of rain falling in 24 hours source
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23 Jan 2011 12:00

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U.S.: From activism to murder charges: Kermit Gosnell’s long decline

  • respected Physician Kermit Gosnell, an early abortion practicioner, went to the Mantua neighborhood of Philadelphia in the late ’60s as an activist trying to change the rough-and-tumble neighborhood. He helped open both an abortion clinic and a methadone clinic.
  • reckless Over the years, Gosnell became known for taking risks that most abortion doctors wouldn’t – a trend that led to a declining reputation, and eventually, his recent arrest on really disturbing charges. He didn’t even have a nurse for most of the time he ran the clinic! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jan 2011 11:34

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World: Green no more: Ireland’s ruling coalition completely falls apart

  • We have decided that we can no longer continue in government.
  • Irish Green Party leader John Gormley • Revealing their plans to exit the coalition with Prime Minister Brian Cowen’s government, likely forcing a much quicker election than Cowen anticipated. (One was planned for March 11th already, but might be needed sooner.) Despite washing their hands of Gormley’s government, they plan on supporting a key piece of legislation regarding the country’s austerity plan. source
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23 Jan 2011 11:23

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World: Israeli independent study: Flotilla raid “regrettable” but legal

  • issue Back in May, an Israeli raid of a humanitarian flotilla, headed towards the until-then heavily-sanctioned Gaza, angered many who felt that Israeli military actions in the situation broke international law and led to unnecessary deaths. Israel defended its actions.
  • findings While the entire incident was “regrettable,” according to an Israeli-commissioned study, it was legal under international law – with the independent study saying soldiers “acted professionally and in a measured manner in the face of unanticipated violence.” source
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