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21 Jul 2011 14:59

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World: Deceased Hitler deputy’s grave site removed over neo-Nazi pilgrimage concerns

  • Hitler deputy Rudolf Hess exhumed: The remains of Rudolf Hess, a former Hitler deputy, have been exhumed from his grave site in Wunsiedel, Germany. His grave had became something of a pilgrimage destination for neo-Nazis over the years, which caused a lot of understandable angst amongst Wunsiedel’s residents — the Lutheran church ultimately asked Hess’ family to allow them to remove the remains and site when they applied for a 20-year extension on the plot. Hess’ remains are to be cremated and scattered at sea, and the headstone that marked his grave will be destroyed. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jul 2011 14:26

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World: Bill Gates wants to bring some big changes to the toilet

  • No innovation in the past 200 years has done more to save lives and improve health than the sanitation revolution triggered by invention of the toilet. But it did not go far enough. It only reached one-third of the world. What we need are new approaches. New ideas. In short, we need to reinvent the toilet.
  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation global development program president Sylvia Mathews Burwell • Offering two things: One, an opportunity for toilet humor (we’ll pass), and two, an honest argument by Bill Gates’ group that perhaps the sanitation industry hasn’t gone far enough in the third world. So they want to figure out a way to take a device which the first world has taken for granted and improve its weaknesses, so that it works without a nearby sanitation mechanism, it’s cheap and human waste is treated and somehow recycled or changed into a form which is harmless and doesn’t spread disease. He has the money to do it, guys — let’s just hope there aren’t any blue screens of death that hit when you have to go. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jul 2011 14:14

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Politics: John Edwards owes federal government lots of ca$h or something

  • $2.3million owed back to the Feds for his election fail source
  • » Yeah, you weren’t entitled to those matching funds: The main issue that Edwards faces is that he received federal matching funds up the wazoo — funds which he didn’t end up using and now has to pay back. But that said, it’s not even the worst issue our boy is facing — see, he recently got indicted on felony charges involving his reported usage of $900,000 to hide his pregnant mistress, Rielle Hunter, from sight.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jul 2011 14:10

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U.S.: Space shuttle Atlantis lands, marking end of 30-year program

  • The last shuttle: A sight that may be pretty melancholy for outer space lovers; the Atlantis touches down, marking the end of the space shuttle era. Shuttling has now been left to the U.S.’s former chief adversary in the realm of space exploration, Russia. Despite reports to the contrary from months ago, Russia insists that they won’t raise prices despite their monopoly in the field. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jul 2011 13:57

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Politics: Obama and Boehner near deal? Not if you ask their press folks about it

  • claim The New York Times has an article up saying that Obama and Boehner are nearing a deal on the whole debt ceiling mess that’s gripped DC for the past few weeks. Oh God, let’s hope so guys.
  • denial However, Boehner’s folks denied this. “While we are keeping the lines of communication open,” said spokesperson Kevin Smith, “there is no ‘deal’ and no progress to report.” O RLY?
  • denial Likewise, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney (who recently called Mitch McConnell “Mitch Mitchell,” then dropped a Guided by Voices reference) flatly denied the claim. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jul 2011 00:31

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Politics: Democrat survives recall attempt in Wisconsin

  • Wisconsin Republicans’ quixotic attempt to recall Democratic state senators has gotten off to a bad start: State Sen. David Hansen was easily re-elected in today’s recall election, defeating his opponent by a 2:1 margin. Hansen is the first of nine WI State Senators facing recall attempts (three Democrats, six Republicans).The recalls were first initiated by Democrats hoping to punish Republicans for supporting Scott Walker’s anti-union bill last Spring. Republicans, out of a combination of boredom and petulance, responded by launching their own recall petitions against Democrats who opposed the bill. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Jul 2011 23:20

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U.S.: Federal Reserve slaps Wells Fargo with puny $85 million penalty

  • $85 millionpaid by Wells Fargo for its role in the subprime mortgage fiasco; the penalty was issued by the Federal Reserve
  • $25 billion received by Wells Fargo from the Troubled Assets Relief Program, colloquially known as the bailout source
  • » This is both the largest consumer protection fine ever levied by the Fed and the first time the institution has punished a bank for nudging customers into subprime loans. There’s more to come, too; in addition to the fine, the order also “requires that Wells Fargo compensate affected borrowers,” although it’s unclear how this will work. It’s better than nothing, but $85 million just seems a bit low; as a point of comparison, the bank made $2.5 billion in the first three months of 2010 alone.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

20 Jul 2011 22:33

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Tech: App lets iPhone users see all of your drunken mistakes

  • A new iPhone app allows you to view real-time video feeds from inside local bars, so you can, in the words of the creators, “see what a venue looks like, to get a head count.” Cool idea, but that means that if you’re in one of said bars, everything you do is being streamed online—whether you know it or not. Bars that opt-in to this aren’t required to tell patrons that they’re being filmed, and the footage is accessible from the company’s website, so it’s not just limited to iPhone users. The creators defend the app’s integrity, saying that “the point of the product is not to make a stalker utility.” Which is a vapid defense, of course, because the intent behind a product has no bearing on the manner in which it’s capable of being used. We suspect Apple might pull this one before too long. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Jul 2011 15:31

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Culture: Yao Ming officially retires from the NBA

  • China’s basketball pioneer says goodbye: Yao Ming, an athlete whose in-game performance (occasionally dominant as it was) paled in comparison to his international impact on the game of basketball, has officially retired from the NBA. He measures up at a staggering 7’6″, and weighs over 300 pounds, a size advantage that served as his prime asset on the court, but may well have spurred the leg injuries that now force his retirement at the young age of 30. His dedication to his country may not have helped, either — he logged a grueling workload keeping up with both his NBA career and his obligations back home, notably when he rushed back from a broken foot to play for host-nation China in the 2008 Olympics. He’ll be returning to his homeland to work with his team from his pre-NBA days, the Shanghai Sharks. (Photo courtesy Keith Allison) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Jul 2011 15:05

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Offbeat: Great Moments In Pie Throwing: Ralph Nader

  • That’s how you do it: Apologies for the low video quality, but it was the only actual footage we could find of this — when a pie-wielding troublemaker took aim at Ralph Nader in 2003, Nader knew exactly what to do. If you’re going to throw a pie, you should be able to take a pie, too. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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