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21 Feb 2011 23:35

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Tech: New Facebook app tells you when your friends break up

  • Sure, it’s a little creepy, but I imagine that it will be hugely popular.
  • Tech Blogger Martin Bryant • On the new “Facebook Breakup Notifier” app, which does exactly what its name implies. Some are worried that the application will encourage Facebook stalking (as if the mere existence of Facebook doesn’t encourage Facebook stalking), but Bryan validly points out that “if you’re worried about being stalked, maybe you should be more careful about who you approve as a Facebook friend?” source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Feb 2011 15:29

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World: China begins tightening internet controls to thwart protests

  • China An enormous geopolitical power, boasting one of the world’s skyrocketing manufacturing economies. Complicating the diplomatic picture, by virtue of being the largest single holder of American debt, China is a tenuous ally of the U.S. government.
  • also China A repressive state that crushes domestic dissent, and supports mass-murdering totalitarianism in North Korea, is now gearing up its vaunted system of internet censorship to put down hopes of a revolution movement. Geopolitics are so rarely moral issues. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Feb 2011 15:00

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World: A video glimpse into the chaos, brutality in Tripoli

  • Not for the faint of heart: This Al Jazeera English clip gives a stark and worthy overview of the bloodshed in Libya, including some particularly grisly shots taken from the streets of Tripoli. Be advised that it’s rather unpleasant to watch, but nonetheless – there’s a truth to the grim images that needs to be presented in times like these. It’s important for the ability of Libyans to make themselves and their horrific struggle known, and to inform our international conscience. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Feb 2011 14:18

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World: Just a couple of jet jockeys who want the hell out of Libya

  • 2 Libyan Air Force jet pilots seeking political asylum in Malta source
  • » Escape! The two men booked it out of Libya in Mirage jets, landing at Malta International Airport along with two helicopters carrying seven civilians who claim to be French, though only one has a passport. The duo, both reportedly colonels in the Libyan Air Force, flew low out of a Tripoli airfield to avoid detection.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Feb 2011 13:58

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World: Yemeni President Saleh cries incredulousness at protests

  • Why do you turn to violence? Why do you turn to the destruction of things? This is an infection, it’s not in our culture, it’s not in our tradition.
  • Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh • On the groundswell protests against his government. He also referred to the protest movement as being “like a flu,” which while a rather crude way to describe the forces stacked against him is not wholly without merit. The middle east appears to be reaching a critical mass of anti-ruling party mentality, as the victories and adversities of protesters in other states provide limitless fuel and momentum for still more revolution. So, disrespect aside, the pathological reference bears some fruit. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Feb 2011 13:33

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World: Saif Gaddafi’s “rivers of blood” continue to flow in Libya

  • YES Libyan military aircraft fired live munitions at crowds source
  • » So says Al Jazeera. While it’s rightly noted that there hasn’t been independent verification of this, with public relations work by “rivers of blood” Saif Gaddafi, the Libyan government hasn’t left us much recourse but to believe they’re making good on that gruesome threat. Julien Barnes-Dacey, Middle East analyst for Control Risks: “These really seem to be last, desperate acts. If you’re bombing your own capital, it’s really hard to see how you can survive.”
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Feb 2011 12:50

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Politics: University of Arizona announces new Institute in wake of Tucson

  • the talk Much discussion was had in the wake of the Tucson, Arizona shootings at the hands of Jared Loughner regarding civil political discourse. As these things tend to, we expected this surge of goodwill to not really go anywhere.
  • the walk? The University of Arizona will establish the National Institute for Civil Discourse, a non-partisan organization with honorary chairmen Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush (those two do everything together). source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

21 Feb 2011 11:17

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Politics: Well, that’s pretty hilarious: Blago’s lawyers push against wiretaps

  • Let’s say you’rE Rod Blagojevich’s lawyer. How could you prevent you guy from getting convicted with as little trouble as possible? Oh, there are wiretaps being used as evidence in this upcoming retrial of his, eh? Why don’t we just petition the court to say – hey, these are unfair to our client. They don’t present all the evidence in a fair or reasonable way. And this is why you’re Rod Blagojevich’s lawyer. Because, you know what, a transparent ploy to get the court to drop the key piece of evidence against your client is pretty transparent. But you don’t care. It makes it look like you’re doing something worthwhile for your paycheck. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Feb 2011 11:02

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World: Egypt: Top prosecutor trying to freeze Hosni Mubarak’s assets

  • liquid During Hosni Mubarak’s time as Egyptian leader, it’s been rumored that his family amassed a fortune as large as $70 billion. Whew.
  • frozen? After Mubarak’s departure, top prosecutor General Abdel Magid Mahmud has been working to get Mubarak’s assets locked up. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Feb 2011 10:43

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Politics: In partial defense of the Wisconsin State Journal’s bad photo editing

  • We’ve noticed a couple of our followers mentioning this pretty stellar Awl article about the situation in Wisconsin. This isn’t really about that, except indirectly. It mentioned this photo gallery using this phrase: “The Wisconsin State Journal, ran an entire photo journal titled ‘Saturday protests at the Capitol’—which contained photos only of the Walker supporters.” Now, we don’t like being critical of a publication we like (The Awl is cool), but this simply isn’t true. What we’re witnessing, conversely, is a bad case of photo editing which seems to emphasize the Tea Partiers above all else. There are a lot of photos of the Tea Party in this slideshow, either way, seemingly more than of the much larger crowd around them. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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