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25 Apr 2011 20:28

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Tech: Note to aliens: We’re out of money, not really looking anymore

  • SETI’s broke, guys: The search for extra-terrestrial intelligence will take a breather for a little while. The SETI Institute, which owns these sweet-looking satellites, ran out of money for its Allen Telescope Array, and the program will take a breather. Paul Allen (who recently became a patent troll) provided a big chunk of the original funding, and the State of California and the National Science Foundation provided the rest. The government sources, however, had to cut their funding recently. There is good news, however: Apparently the Air Force may want to use the technology to study space debris. So they could be functioning again soon. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 20:14

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Politics: Rachel Maddow clarifies comments on “coming out”

  • In that interview, I wasn’t asked about Anderson Cooper, I didn’t say anything about him, he literally was never discussed during the interview at all — even implicitly.
  • Rachel Maddow • Clarifying the comments we posted about earlier to emphasize that it wasn’t about Anderson Cooper, despite what it seemed from the phrasing. (Good.) In her blog post, Maddow lays out the three ethical rules she stands by, the key one being this: “Gay people — generally speaking — have a responsibility to our own community and to future generations of gay people to come out, if and when we feel that we can.” She notes, however, if you’re using your status as a gay person to harm others, you should “reasonably expect” others in the community to out you. We’re glad for the clarification, and want to make clear that we love Anderson just the way he is, no matter what he does when he’s not covering the news. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 16:30

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Politics: Pentagon Press Sec. Morrell mad at working through Easter

  • A little perspective, maybe? Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell has come under some fire over a tweet he posted (and we noted) earlier today: “Thx to Wikileaks we spent Easter weekend dealing w/NYT & other news orgs publishing leaked classified GTMO docs.” The reason this feels wrong and icky, we think, is the extent to which Morrell (and the Defense Department writ large) never earnestly acknowledge the shocking facts that it’s now known they were keeping secret. Even as it’s probably the tact any government we’ve had in modern American history would take, it projects institutional coldness, and further secrecy. Morrell’s tweet also begs the counter: “Thx to Casio I spent last year dealing w/detention and interrogation in GTMO prison.” source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 16:07

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Politics: Rachel Maddow talks about responsibility, coming out

  • I’m sure other people in the business have considered reasons why they’re doing what they’re doing, but I do think that if you’re gay you have a responsibility to come out.
  • Rachel Maddow • Talking about closeted people working in the TV news business, in a profile and interview with British newspaper The Guardian. The paper asked Maddow whether she felt frustration towards an “equally well-known news presenter who is widely assumed to be gay but has never come out,” which prompted the above response. (Are they referring to CNN’s Anderson Cooper, a common is-he-or-isn’t-he target of celebrity gossip sites?) While the right to not divulge one’s sexual identity is (we would argue) an absolute one, Maddow’s argument is a classic advocate’s stance — that the importance (solidarity, mainstream appeal, and inspiration) of an uber-successful media professional coming out of the closet ought to trump that person’s reluctance to admit it. What do you all think? (EDIT: Maddow clarified her comments; she didn’t mean Anderson Cooper.) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 15:24

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U.S.: Amateur video shows violent Texas storms in action

  • Stormchasing across Texas: Impressive and awe-inspiring amateur video highlighting a very familiar sight of late — violent, volatile, inclement weather. The footage is always appreciated, but here’s hoping everyone stays safe! source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 14:13

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Politics: Legal firm pulls out of defending DOMA for House GOP

  • For a big law firm with an international reputation like King and Spalding, this could have gotten very ugly for them. This kind of thing could have stuck to them for decades. People no longer want to be associated with this kind of discrimination.
  • Richard Socarides, gay rights advocate • Speaking about legal firm King and Spalding withdrawing from their plan to defend the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) in service of the House GOP. The decision has caused a split within the firm, as Paul Clement, one of the partners involved with the case, has resigned in protest and will continue to work for DOMA’s defense, saying that even unpopular causes deserve legal representation. Socarides disagrees, claiming the law is discriminatory and thus is un-American, and that there’s no merit in defending such a cause. We agree in the moral sense, perhaps, but ultimately Clement is correct — legal representation is a keystone of our system of justice, and even though King and Spalding has every right not to take this case, at some point some lawyer does have to step up, personal beliefs aside. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 13:48

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World: Assad government turns up military might against protests

  • The dance of an authoritarian state: The crackdown against those Syrians with the courage to protest the rule of Bashar al-Assad is already horribly violent — human rights groups claim the deaths of more than 300 people by the hands of the Assad government since the protests began. That’s just the visible deathtoll, to boot — Syria is widely regarded as one of the world’s worst states on human rights, with torture being a valued tactic, so it’s hard not to believe there are people having some pretty terrible things done to them as we write this. Tanks have now been unleashed into Dara, the origin of much of the anti-government protest. Once you’ve arrived at this point, can there ever truly be a “going back?” It looks like Syria may face a protracted and bloody conflict. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

25 Apr 2011 13:43

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U.S.: Parsing Wikileaks’ trove of Gitmo detainee files

  • The U.S. has a pretty low threshold for proof when it comes to tossing somebody in Guantanamo Bay, at least that’s what seems true when you read the latest files revealed by Wikileaks. As reported by The Guardian, the U.S. government targeted people wearing a certain type of Casio wristwatch (the F-91W) for detention, because that model of wristwatch was known for its use and distribution by al-Qaeda for training in bomb-making. More than fifty of the released detainee files list the cheap, digital timepiece as a point of interest.
  • No exception for age Two early detainees, an 89-year-old and 70-year-old, sound like they never should’ve been there. U.S. doctors described the former as suffering from major depression, senility and dementia, while the latter authorities internally assessed had no real reason for their detainment at Guantanamo Bay.
  • No exception for youth Naqib Ullah was one of the youngest detainees, at just 14 when he spent a year in confinement. Authorities ultimately decided he was telling the truth when he insisted he’d been kidnapped by the Taliban — his file claims to want to “afford him an opportunity to ‘grow out’ of the radical extremism he has been subject to.” source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 11:48

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World: NATO airstrikes rattle Gaddafi’s home/military compound

  • NATO unleashes attacks in Tripoli: The strikes early Monday morning came with reports from NATO officials that nobody had been badly harmed, though Libyan state TV later claimed 45 civilian casualties. The odds of civilian death in this regard aren’t negligible, as Gaddafi has hosted throngs of still-loyal citizens at his sprawling residence to act as human shields, fully hoping that the risk of killing them would deter NATO from launching attacks like this one — be warned that there is a small amount of graphic imagery in the video. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 10:59

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World: Syria: Bashar Al-Assad has a contradictory legacy to shake

  • This is the moment of truth for Bashar al-Assad. He has potentially the ability to impose reforms on his own Baath Party, but has he the will to do so?
  • Columbia University visiting professor Jean-Pierre Filiu • Describing the situation the controversial Syrian leader currently has to deal with. It’s not clear what he’ll do — enact reforms against the party that gives him power or let them keep doing what they’re doing, both putting him at risk of losing his power — but his history suggests a cycle of giving diplomats hopes that he’ll enact real change, but failing to follow through. A tough legacy to shake, and one that has strong implications for the Middle East. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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