Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

21 Apr 2011 11:12

tags

Politics: This just in: Allen West causes orificial secretions

  • The idea of an Allen West/Herman Cain all-black conservative ticket would titillate me to the point of secretions coming out of every orifice.
  • Andrew Breitbart • On who he’d like to see on the GOP ticket in 2012. Lovely imagery aside, this sort of reasoning is a reflection of the belief, common amongst some conservatives, that all the GOP needs to do to win over certain demographics is nominate members of those demographics to high-profile tickets. This isn’t the case, as McCain’s VP pick in 2008 proved all too well. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Apr 2011 10:35

tags

World: Japanese government creates Fukushima no-go zone

  • 12 miles away from Fukushima? Don’t get any closer source
  • » The penalties: People who violate this rule could face a fine of up to ¥100,000 (roughly $1,220) or 30 days in jail. On top of the possibility that you might get affected by radiation. (EDIT: This post was edited to remove a two-second quip that probably requires a post of its own.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Apr 2011 10:24

tags

World: Tim Hetherington: Libyan government sorry “someone died”

  • We do not kill anyone that does not fight us. We need to check the circumstances in which [these] journalists died. And it’s war of course. People die from our side, from their side, people get caught in the middle. We need to check the circumstances. But of course we are very sad that someone died.
  • Libyan spokesperson Moussa Ibrahim • Expressing remorse for the deaths of Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros in the broadest of terms. They’re sad that “someone died.” If that was the case, why are people dying? Not just journalists. Citizens. This is the same guy who tried to blame the victim in that terrible rape case a few weeks ago. For some reason, we’re not buying his broad apology. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Apr 2011 10:12

tags

Politics: Whoa! Obama calls Paul Ryan’s GOP budget plan “radical”

Because, COME ON! Why should all the Republicans have the fun using phrases like “radical”? Obama wants in, too! Next, he needs to call something a “birther” somehow. William Ayers! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Apr 2011 10:01

tags

Tech: Apple’s iPhone location-tracking fiasco: Not as bad as it looks

  • [Apple may] collect and transmit cell tower and Wi-Fi Access point information automatically [from your device]. This information is batched and then encrypted and transmitted to Apple over a secure Wi-Fi Internet connection every twelve hours.
  • A 2010 letter from Apple • Explaining why the whole “Apple spying on users” thing is a non-issue. Simply put: It’s not about you. It’s about cell towers. Want to read an explanation about what they’re doing? Read this letter they sent to Congressmen Ed Markey and Joe Barton way back in June of last year. PC World makes a good point about all this, though: “But the database on your computer is sitting there unencrypted in an easily discoverable location. This means the database is a potential target for malware or even law enforcement if the authorities should decide to seize and search your PC.” Even if Apple continues to do this (which you can turn off by snapping off “Location Services” on your phone’s settings), they should fix that part of the problem. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Apr 2011 09:44

tags

U.S.: A dozen years after Columbine, jerks still trying to set off bombs

  • 1999 In one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history, two Columbine High School students killed a over dozen people, then themselves. The Colorado tragedy caused a spate of copycat incidents nationwide and led to much cultural hand-wringing over why it happened.
  • 2011 On Columbine’s 12th anniversary, Southwest Plaza Mall, located less than two miles away from the site of the shooting, had a close call with an apparent bomb threat. The suspect placed explosives in an area of the mall usually closed to the public. A security guard caught it before it went off. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Apr 2011 23:48

tags

Tech: Soon, your Kindle will replace your library card

Amazon is rolling out some great new features to Kindle users, including book lending and access to 11,000 public libraries. No word on when they’ll be out, though. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

20 Apr 2011 23:30

tags

Politics: Cut off the head, and another will grow

  • This year, GOP voters’ hunger for radicalism is so great that it can be filled by essentially anybody. Kill off Trump’s candidacy and the demand will remain, leaving an opening for yet another demagogic charlatan to take his place.
  • Ed Kilgore at The New Republic • Assessing the forces behind Donald Trump’s improbable candidacy for President. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Apr 2011 23:19

tags

U.S.: A majority of Americans support same-sex marriage

  • YES polling indicates majority support for gay marriage
  • In 1988, 10% of Americans supported equal marriage rights. Now, after twenty-three years of rather intense political struggles, proponents of gay rights can plausibly claim a mandate. Polling over the last eight months strongly suggests that a majority of Americans—51% in the latest CNN poll—support same-sex marriage, and while public policy regrettably hasn’t caught up with public opinion yet, this is nonetheless a huge milestone for the gay rights movement, and civil rights as a whole. The aforementioned CNN poll was the fourth in eight months implying majority support.
  • 2009 two years ago, opponents of gay marriage outweighed supporters by 11%
  • 2012 in a year and a half, gay marriage advocates will outnumber opponents by 16% (if current trends continue)
  • 4% per-year increase in support for gay marriage since 2008; usually, it’s usually around 1-2% per year source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Apr 2011 22:20

tags

Tech: Apple’s amazing quarter: That Verizon iPhone really did the trick

  • 83% increase in Apple’s revenue for the quarter (showoffs)
  • 18.65
    million     number of iPhones the company sold in the quarter (credit the move to  Verizon, obviously)
  • 4.69
    million     number of iPads the company sold in  the quarter (credit the release of the iPad 2, obviously) source
  • » Supply and demand: That iPad number likely would’ve been even higher had Apple figured out a away to make even more of them available. The company’s COO and temporary replacement for Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, blames “the mother of all backlogs.” The iPad currently has a one-to-two-week delay on the Apple Web site. This company may print its own money, but they haven’t figured out how to print an iPad yet.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>