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03 Mar 2011 22:29

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U.S.: Harvard finally recognizes the ROTC again – four decades later

  • then The ROTC was blocked from Harvard’s campus at the height of the Vietnam War. Later, the group was blocked largely because of the military’s record on gay rights.
  • nowLargely because of the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” Harvard will now formally recognize the Naval ROTC. It only took 41 years for the change to happen. source
  • » Harvard’s take: “Our renewed relationship affirms the vital role that the members of our Armed Forces play in serving the nation and securing our freedoms, while also affirming inclusion and opportunity as powerful American ideals,” said university president Dr. Drew Gilpin Faust. She sounds very positive about the change, doesn’t she?
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2011 21:52

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U.S., World: Obama: “Full range” of military options on the table in Libya

  • YES Obama could bring U.S. military action to Libya source
  • » It’s not off the table: “We are looking at every option that’s out there,” he said, “in addition to the non-military actions that we’ve taken. I want to make sure that those full range of options are available to me.” He’s stressing great care, however, and it doesn’t sound like the first option on the table. (Nor does it sound like it would necessitate a large military campaign.) Do you guys think that Obama should lead us in this direction? Should this be our role in this particular crisis?
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2011 21:30

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Politics: Health Care-blocking Judge Roger Vinson: Supreme Court or bust

  • Almost everyone agrees that the constitutionality of the act is an issue that will ultimately have to be decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. It is very important to everyone in this country that this case move forward as soon as practically possible.
  • Senior US District Judge Roger Vinson • In offering a deal to the Obama administration –  he’ll put a stay on his health-care decision – but only if he appeals it, possibly directly to the Supreme Court. Vinson’s decision is notable in that he said the entire law was unconstitutional in his decision, which was the result of a 26-state class-action lawsuit. So, how do you guys think that the Supreme Court will decide? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2011 16:08

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World: In wake of broad criticism, President Obama speaks out on Gaddafi

  • then President Obama had absorbed criticism over his lack of forceful public remarks towards Muammar Gaddafi, and the need for the dictator to give up power.
  • now The President spoke out on Gaddafi, calling on him to leave while affirming that he’s sent refugee aid and airlift support to Libya’s crowded border. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2011 15:49

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Tech: Recall of Mazda6 on account of arachnid saboteurs

  • … a certain type of spider may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent line and this may cause a restriction in the line.
  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration • Explaining the recall of nearly 65,000 Mazda6 cars. In most cases, arachnophobia is strictly irrational (with all due sympathy), but now they’re trying to sabotage our wheels. The culprit is the Yellow Sac spider, a daring little saboteur if there ever was one. The web blockages in the vent lines can cause pressure irregularities, leading to fluid spillage. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2011 14:55

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U.S.: Memo to America: Simple as it sounds, sleep is important

  • 1 in 3 number of Americans surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control who reported inadvertently falling asleep at least once in a day
  • 1 in 20 number of Americans surveyed who admitted to falling asleep while behind the wheel of their car at least once in a month source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2011 13:33

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Culture: BYU forward Brandon Davies suspended for… consensual sex?

  • The showers only run cold: Brigham Young University, named after the Mormon leader of yesteryear, has a basketball team, and a rather good one. They also, however, have a student honor code that states you can’t have premarital sex. Which lead to the deeply peculiar (especially within the “win-at-all-costs” realm of collegiate athletics) revelation that BYU pivot Brandon Davies had been suspended from the team yesterday for having consensual sex with his girlfriend. Obviously, as long as they’re not violent or forced over non-believers, religious tenets are anybody’s personal right. But there’s a decent chance not all of those players are Mormon, and from the view of a secular player sitting on that bench, it must be frustrating to have your season disrupted by this. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

03 Mar 2011 13:14

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World: Strain on border crossing out of Libya eases with extra support

  • YES airlifts are assisting Libyan refugee border crossings source
  • » Just get me outta here: Much to the relief of aid agencies and arbiters, the enormous surge of people fleeing Libya by way of the Tunisian border, estimated in recent days at around 150,000, is now getting support from aerial transport, easing the burden on the escape route. Aircraft have been activated from Britain, Egypt, and France, among others. This relieves much concern about a pressurized, very volatile situation the last few days due to the intense crowding being endured by these refugees.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2011 11:25

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Biz: Workplace productivity goes up. We suggest it goes back down.

  • 2.6% jump in productivity levels in the recent quarter source
  • » Suggestion for the workforce at large: Be less productive. It will encourage employers to hire more people if they can’t get done what they need to get done with the people they have. And as a result, the unemployment rate will go down because these greedy bastards won’t be able to use their profit picture to screw over millions of unemployed people who can’t find work. You bastards need to stop working so hard. Clock out half an hour early one day for no reason. Sit at your desk and reload Tumblr repeatedly. Blow a deadline. Make yourself not so much replaceable, but appendable. You need an assistant, right? Right? (Note, since people are taking this post seriously: This is “A Modest Proposal,” a Swiftian joke.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2011 10:59

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U.S.: Twenty years after Rodney King, the LAPD’s view on cameras evolves

  • Early on in their training, I always tell them, ‘I don’t care if you’re in a bathroom taking care of your personal business…. Whatever you do, assume it will be caught on video.’ We tell them if they’re doing the right thing then they have no reason to worry.
  • LAPD officer and recruit supervisor Sgt. Heather Fungaroli • Offering a fairly fresh assessment on the how the police department now views video. Twenty years ago, a video clip turned their whole view on the matter inside-out. The clip of Rodney King’s beating by multiple police officers, and the subsequent “not guilty” verdict in the case, led to a major riot in the city that drew national attention and led to 50 deaths. These days, the police force is quickly putting more cameras in police cars and even has its own videographers to cover incidents – advances which not only ensure better cop conduct but can help exonerate them in legal cases. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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