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

24 Apr 2011 11:06

tags

World: Christians in China arrested for trying to hold Easter service

  • 20+ people arrested in Beijing for holding an Easter service source
  • » The church expected this to happen: With China’s officially atheist government completely at odds with any sort of religious celebration, Shouwang Church’s senior pastor, Jin Tianming, appeared ready for retribution for his church’s decision to hold an outdoor mass on Easter. “This is our uncompromising position and a matter of faith,” he said. “If they arrest our followers, this is the price we are willing to pay.” While you guys think of cute bunnies and Easter Eggs, keep in mind that people are still fighting for their right to celebrate this holiday. (UPDATE: We just threw up another post with more context.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Apr 2011 10:46

tags

World: Easter Sunday: Pope Benedict pleas for peace in Libya

  • In the current conflict in Libya, may diplomacy and dialogue replace arms, and may those who suffer as a result of the conflict be given access to humanitarian aid.
  • Pope Benedict XVI • Making a plea for peace in Libya, which has suffered greatly from heavy fighting in recent weeks. He expressed hope that “every political choice is inspired by respect for the human person.” He also made a plea for countries to consider the plight of the refugee, suggesting that “people of good will open their hearts to welcome them.” On this Easter Sunday, Mr. Crazy Hat nailed it, in our opinion. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Apr 2011 10:36

tags

World: Libyan stronghold Misurata suffers bloodiest day in weeks

  • 25+ people killed during the fighting over the Libyan town of Misurata — a key stronghold in the civil war
  • 71+ others were critically injured, despite claims that Gaddafi’s army has laid down its arms temporarily source
  • » Who has the upper-hand? It appears that the rebels do, though it’s murky. Yesterday, some rebel forces in the city claimed it was “free” of pro-Gaddafi forces, but others claimed it might be a “trick” by to lull rebels into a false sense of security. Gaddafi forces claim to have laid down their arms to allow local tribes to settle their differences peacefully, but plan to arm the tribes if an agreement isn’t reached. Despite these claims, the violence rages on in dramatic fashion. And of course, there’s the wildcard — drone strikes.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Apr 2011 21:32

tags

Politics: Obama’s getting blamed for gas prices — and he doesn’t like it

  • Every time gas prices go up like this, like clockwork, suddenly politicians look around and they discover high gas prices. And they’re shocked. And they get in front of TV and say we’ve got a three-point plan to bring gas prices down to $2 a gallon. Then when gas prices go down, nothing ever happens.
  • President Obama • Complaining about the drama that seems to follow every time gas prices go up — particularly in terms of how it affects him. Bro’s pretty upset about the fact that he’s getting the short end of the gas-price stick in the polls (which have drooped significantly since March), but he’s not afraid to shift the blame. “That’s $4 billion of your money going to these companies when they’re making record profits and you’re paying near record prices at the pump,” he said in his weekly radio/interwebs address. “It has to stop.” Of note here: George W. Bush went through a similar bit of drama halfway through his presidency. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Apr 2011 19:32

tags

U.S.: Despite the tornado damage, St. Louis Lambert Airport reopens

  • today A night after St. Louis’ main airport was damaged by an apparent tornado, Lambert Airport reopened for a handful of flights.
  • tomorrow The airport plans to return to about 70 percent capacity — which is impressive considering what the facility looked like last night. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Apr 2011 13:49

tags

World: Yemen’s Ali Abdullah Saleh stepping down in immunity deal

  • President Saleh welcomed the proposal and has accepted it. Though President Saleh has constitutional rights to stay in power, he is willing to leave office willingly.
  • Yemeni presidential aide Tariq Shami • Revealing that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh accepted the deal we wrote about earlier in the week to ensure his departure. He’ll be out in 30 days. Saleh has been in office for 32 years, and will leave with immunity from prosecution. So, another one down, guys. Who’s next? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Apr 2011 13:12

tags

U.S.: Terry Jones: A pastor, a rabbi, and two bigots walk into a courtroom …

  • Say what you will about Terry Jones and his obvious attempt to draw attention by protesting at the country’s biggest mosque, but dude knows how to wear a faded leather jacket. Too bad we can’t separate the bigot from the sweet threads. Despite being barred from doing so, Jones plans to protest at the Islamic Center of America next week. Jones incited violence in the Middle East by burning a copy of the Koran about a month ago. (By the way, the rabbi next to him, Nachum Shifren, is no saint, either.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

23 Apr 2011 10:39

tags

U.S.: St. Louis Lambert Airport aftermath: Wide damage, limited injuries

  • All the windows were busted. … The airport looks like a war zone. … Kids were crying. A woman had a busted nose. Everyone was too freaked out to talk.”
  • St. Louis Lambert Airport patron Elizabeth Rastberger • Describing the scene last night as an apparent tornado hit the airport. Rastberger was waiting for a friend when the airport was hit. While five were injured badly enough that they had to go to the hospital, everyone is accounted for and none of the injuries were life-threatening. Passengers had to be evacuated from at least one aircraft, which was officially the scariest place to be last night. The airport remains closed. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Apr 2011 18:38

tags

Culture: Fox network decides to throw official hashtags on its shows

  • We’ve noticed shows like Glee and Idol trend while the show is on, but fans often use different hashtags. We thought if we provided the official hashtags, then more posts would aggregate.
  • Fox marketing president Joe Earley • Describing the network’s decision to put Twitter hashtags for its shows next to the network’s bug. Genius idea. And on top of that, Twitter wins because it encourages more people to post on Twitter instead of going to some forum instead. But is this giving Twitter too much credit? While a lot of people use it, not EVERYONE does. Some food for thought. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Apr 2011 18:12

tags

Tech: Twitter’s new building almost too big to describe in 140 characters

  • Twitter’s new home: Today, Twitter crossed the T’s and dotted the I’s on the lease for this, the San Francisco Mart building in the city’s Central Market district. The deal came after Twitter made a deal with the city to avoid a 1.5 percent city payroll tax for the next six years. Which means Twitter can bulk up without having to pay any extra taxes. Sweet — for them. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>