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13 Apr 2011 23:42

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U.S.: Kobe Bryant issued $100,000 penalty for calling a ref a bad word

  • $100k fine to Kobe Bryant for anti-gay slur source
  • » During a game against San Antonio, Kobe Bryant became angry at having been issued a technical foul, and referred to the referee using an anti-gay word that we won’t repeat. Unfortunately, the exchange was captured on camera, and following criticism from several prominent gay rights groups, the NBA decided to fine him $100,000. This may sound steep, but Bryant makes over $300,000 per game, so it’s really just a drop in the bucket. A very large drop, that is, in a very large bucket.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 23:12

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Politics: Rick Santorum launches presidential bid; political world remains indifferent

  • yesIt’s official: Former Senator Rick Santorum has announced the launch an exploratory committee to run for President!
  • no He still isn’t being taken seriously by anyone; Intraders currently give him a .7% chance of winning the nomination. source
  • » Flashback: When asked about his feelings on homosexuality in 2003, Santorum replied, “I have no problem with homosexuality. I have a problem with homosexual acts.” He then insisted that the Constitution doesn’t grant people the right to privacy. We’re just sayin’ .
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 22:29

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Politics: Arizona State Senate: “Where’s the birth certificate?!”

  • YES a “Birther Bill” has passed the Arizona Senate source
  • » Score one for The Donald: Arizona’s State Senate just passed a bill that requires presidential candidates to produce their “long form birth certificate” in order to appear on the state’s presidential ballots. If they can’t (or won’t) do that, other documents will be accepted–but not, much to Orly Taitz’s delight, a Certificate of Live Birth. We, like many Arizona Democrats, are skeptical as to whether or not this is within a state’s power. Regardless, the bill now heads to the state House for a vote.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 22:01

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U.S.: Virginia teacher simulates slave-trade in unfortunate classroom exercise

  • The lesson could have been thought through more carefully.
  • Mary B. Wrushen, principal of Sewells Point Elementary School • Regarding a well-intentioned but nonetheless awful idea on the part of Jessica Boyle, a fourth grade teacher at the school. In a lesson meant to illustrate the tragedy of slavery, Boyle separated her students by race–white students on one side, everyone else on the other–and had the white students “bid” on the black kids, as if they were purchasing slaves. A letter was shortly sent to parents, apologizing for such stupidity. Here’s to hoping Haley Barbour weighs in on this. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 20:47

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U.S.: If you read any 6,000-word article on sugar today, let it be this one

The New York Times Magazine has a freaking massive piece on whether or not sugar is toxic. Want the answer? Well, you’re gonna have to read it, sweetheart. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 16:59

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Politics: Surprisingly defiant tone for Obama in budget speech

  • So… how y’all feel about that speech? Reviews streaming in following President Obama’s remarks about U.S. budgetary issues are somewhat mixed, but that’s what you’d expect when the speech in question struck such a starkly firm, at times defiant tone. Indeed, the favorite words of the administration, like “bipartisanship,” “compromise,” and “common ground” were all there, but there was also a lot of base-feeding red meat to his pitch that likely inflamed conservative orthodoxy and left liberals feeling better than they had expected.
  • The Paul Ryan Plan President Obama flatly and sternly dismissed Rep. Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity,” stating the plan would “end Medicare as we know it,” has a “deeply pessimistic” vision for America, and there’s “nothing courageous about asking for sacrifice from those who can least afford it and don’t have any clout on Capitol Hill.”
  • The Tax Man plan? The crux of the President’s rebuttal is that taxes on our highest income earners not only must go up, but that they should go up — a marked departure from more moderate rhetoric he’s used in the past years, likely due to the opposition’s success in injecting the word “socialism” into the debate. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 16:22

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World: Israel’s Lieberman may face graft charges

  • Avigdor’s looming legal troubles: Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman learned from Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein today that he may face charges of graft, a tarnish that could potentially force his resignation. It’s alleged that Lieberman used shell companies, among other methods, to illictly rake in nearly $1,200,000 while serving in public office. Lieberman was already a controversial figure in Israeli politics — you may remember his proposal that all Israeli citizens pledge a loyalty oath or have their voting rights revoked. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

13 Apr 2011 15:33

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U.S.: Sleeping air traffic controller sparks FAA response

  • 2 air traffic controllers for night shifts is important for safety, the FAA says source
  • » It’s unclear how sweeping a change this really is, reason being the FAA issued this requirement for 27 airports nationwide, and it’s rather hard to find information like how many air traffic controllers work which night shifts at which airports, internet notwithstanding. That said, this seems like the prototypical, blindingly obvious safety issue which looks shocking that people hadn’t considered it already. The fact that the U.S. faces a shortage of trained air traffic controllers is quite known, though, and you can’t exactly manifest them out of thin air. How will the FAA solve this problem long-term with an ever-dwindling supply of people?
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 15:23

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U.S.: Obama has harsh words for the Paul Ryan budget

  • The fact is [Paul Ryan’s budget] is less about reducing the deficit than it is about changing the basic social compact in America.
  • President Barack Obama • Speaking about Rep. Paul Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity,” which liberals have bemoaned for placing too much additional burden on the financially poor. Whatever you may think about Ryan’s proposal, the claim the President is making seems astute. The ideological battle between Democrats and Republicans in modern America is much more about public vs. private function than it ever truly ends up being about spending; both parties spend a ton without a second thought (the Republican’s ability to whitewash this fact must rank as a political marvel of the highest order). Rather, the Republican consistency has usually been to cut government’s role in social equity whenever they can, shredding elements of the social compact being only a political issue, not a moral one. As Paul Ryan said, his proposal isn’t just a budget, it’s a “cause.” source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 14:28

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World: Telecom executive gives big help to Libyan rebels

  • YES the Libyan rebels have a  mobile phone network source
  • » Welcome to Free Libyana: With international support, in particular the help of a telecom executive in Abu Dhabi named Ousama Abushagur, the Libyan rebel forces now have a hijacked mobile phone network operating within the eastern part of the country. The network, called Free Libyana, was built on the equipment foundations of a Gaddafi controlled network called simply Libyana. Mr. Abushagur, a Libyan who was raised in Alabama, led a crew of engineers and some bodyguards into Benghazi in order to secure the network for the rebel forces located there.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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