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25 Feb 2011 23:47

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U.S.: Jeremy Bernard: The White House’s new gay Social Secretary

  • We don’t care how gay Jeremy Bernard is. It has nothing to do with his job. In fact, it’s awesome that Obama’s willing to appoint a gay man to be the Social Secretary position in the White House, a position which has traditionally been straight and female. This is a milestone that could only be topped if Obama made Barney Frank the next Treasury Secretary. Bernard, right, only has to do one thing to win our approval in the next Pew poll. Keep the Salahis out. That’s all you have to do, man. You can suck at every other aspect of your job. Just prevent that. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 23:26

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Biz: Bank Of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo feel heat over mortgages

  • The current environment of heightened regulatory scrutiny has the potential to subject the corporation to inquiries or investigations that could significantly adversely affect its reputation.
  • A statement from Bank of America • Noting in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the company could be subject to huge penalties over their abusive mortgage practices. They’re not alone; Wells Fargo and Citigroup ware in the same boat, and it’s all thanks to the shady way that the trio dealt with their foreclosures. The reports from the companies suggest that all three will take a financial hit for said shadiness. Bank of America says that the state and federal inquiries “could result in material fines, penalties, equitable remedies (including requiring default servicing or other process changes), or other enforcement actions, and result in significant legal costs.” In other words, they’re screwed for screwing over homeowners. Oops. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 21:35

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Politics: John Boehner’s shutdown-avoiding plan: Layaway. Really.

  • Give it up for John Boehner for figuring out a way to avoid a shutdown … apparently. The House Speaker, who just a week ago pushed through all sorts of crazy stuff that has little chance of passing, has conjured up a plan to keep the government moving. And it’s kinda what you might do if there’s a coat you really like from a place like Burlington Coat Factory, but you can’t really afford it right now. Some details of the apparent deal coming down the line:
  • 2 more weeks to figure out this whole shutdown-threatening budget mess
  • $4 billion in budget savings would have to be made as part of the deal over that two-week period
  • $2 billion more in cuts would have to be found for each additional week they’re at the bargaining table source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 21:02

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World: U.S.: We’re sanctioning the hell out of those jerks in Libya

  • closed The U.S. is closing up shop on its embassy in Libya, which is probably a good thing, considering the current situation.
  • blocked The U.S. will also put very tight sanctions on the country – including an arms embargo and a possible travel ban.
  • frozen? And to put a cherry on top of this pie, the U.S. has also told banks to watch out for shifting Libyan funds. source
  • » Oh yeah, and: U.S. spies will reportedly be keeping tabs on the situation in hopes of maybe nailing Gaddafi and the Libyan government for potential crimes against humanity. And the UN has similar plans in their sights. This, Gaddafi, is why you don’t attack your own civilians in an desperate attempt to hold onto power.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 14:41

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Politics: From “Parker Spitzer” to just “Spitzer”: Kathleen Parker’s out, kids

  • Alright, so who wants to watch “In the Arena”? Mediaite reports that the weirdest relationship on television, CNN’s “Parker Spitzer,” is no longer with a female co-host. The Washington Post columnist will be leaving the show, and the show will be renamed on on Monday. Question of the day: Was Kathleen Parker just an excuse to ease Spitzer into his own show? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 14:25

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Politics: More on Rachel Maddow, PolitiFact and other fun stuff

  • In case you didn’t see our comment on Rachel Maddow’s war of words with PolitiFact, we’d like to point it out again for your kids. We think that there is a lot of context worthy of your time. Above is Maddow’s clip from last night, which, while accurate in pointing out that PolitiFact isn’t always right, does the same kind of cherry-picking that PolitiFact did. From the report, they only quoted a two-second part of a clip that has much more direct context at play. Tommy Christopher at Mediaite took a swing at this whole issue, too, and you know what? He noticed the same thing we did about her surplus/deficit quote. “That passage can be read both ways, but in at least the semantic sense, Politifact is wrong. Their reading of this passage is a matter of interpretation.” In other words, while the exact quote Rachel Maddow pulled proves PolitiFact’s headline is in fact “False,” the problem is that the larger context, which claims that Walker turned a surplus into a deficit (the point of the article), is closer to the truth than Maddow’s people will like. Sorry, Rachel. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 13:37

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Culture: Charlie Sheen: Oh, I was just calling Chuck Lorre by his “real name”

  • I was referring to Chuck by his real name, because I wanted to address the man and not the @(!&%$(! persona.
  • Charlie Sheen • Explaining why he called his “Two and a Half Men” boss, Chuck Lorre, by his Jewish name, Chaim Levine. Not that this is going to appease Jewish groups. “By invoking television producer Chuck Lorre’s Jewish name in the context of an angry tirade against him,” says Anti-Defamation League national director Abraham H. Foxman, “Charlie Sheen left the impression that another reason for his dislike of Mr. Lorre is his Jewishness.” Hey Charlie, may we offer a word of advice for you? You know why you don’t really see Mel Gibson in many movies these days? It’s because he said things like this. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

25 Feb 2011 13:16

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Politics: Protip: Don’t ask “Who’s gonna shoot Obama?” at town hall meetings

  • average Georgia Rep. Paul Broun, a Republican, had a town hall meeting on Tuesday night in Athens. People from across the region came by. Broun asked the person who had to travel furthest the first question.
  • awkward Unfortunately, that person asked this ever-popular question: “Who’s gonna shoot Obama?” People laughed, presumably in shock. Broun avoided an exact answer and his folks later talked to the Secret Service. Smart. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 12:43

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World: Libya: Gaddafi wants to “arm the people” to stop aggression

  • We can defeat any aggression if necessary and arm the people. … You, the youth, be comfortable … dance, sing, stay up all night.
  • Muammar Gaddafi • Speaking to a crowd of pro-Gaddafi supporters in Tripoli, because hey, that’s what he does. His last speech, made last night, was via phone, which led some to raise concerns about his health. But he was totally out today. By the way, it’s worth noting that some officials (specifically in France) are saying that the death toll could possibly be around 2,000 for this whole Libyan protest kit-and-kaboodle. Gaddafi suggesting that he’ll “arm the people” could potentially bring that death toll number way up. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 11:58

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World: Libya throwing money around in effort to buy support from citizens

  • $400 would be given to every Libyan family; sure it’s nice, but it’d be nicer if it was to every PERSON
  • 150% the offered increase in wages for state workers; all in an attempt to appease upset people source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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