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22 Aug 2011 23:28

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U.S., World: Never fear, Captain Biden is here, and he’s a Big #(&@(&% Deal!

  • When in Mongolia…: Vice President Joe Biden visited Mongolia as his latest stop on his Asian tour. Mongolia is expected to open its natural resources to foreign investors soon. While we’re not sure if Biden makes the best diplomat, he’s definitely the one we trust the most with a bow and arrow. (You might’ve heard that the guy who preceded him in the job had some trouble handling weapons properly.) On his trip, he was also presented with a horse, which Biden named “Celtic”. Can you say “live-action ‘Mulan’ remake”? source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Aug 2011 23:02

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U.S.: In tonight’s episode of “WHERE WERE THEIR PARENTS?!”:

  • 5,200 U.S. kids fall out of windows each year source
  • » On the plus side, that number’s falling: Between 1990 and 2008, roughly 7.3 children and teens per 100,000 fell out of windows each year, which is actually down — especially in areas that have pushed safety campaigns to prevent this from happening. However, it’s not the case in every city. In New York and Boston, previous studies have shown 96 percent declines. In this study, that level is much lower.
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Aug 2011 22:28

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Culture: Celebrities are just like us: You know, heroes!

  • winslet Actress Kate Winslet stayed at Richard Branson’s (founder of the Virgin Group) this past weekend. While she was there, a fire broke out on the Caribbean compound. Winslet carried his 90-year-old mother to safety. What a woman!
  • gosling While walking down a New York City street, Ryan Gosling happened upon a squabble. Men were fighting over a painting; naturally, Gosling stepped in to break it up. Be sure to watch the video to watch the men in action. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Aug 2011 21:49

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Biz: S&P’s President Deven Sharma: I’m stepping down, homies

We know what you’re thinking — his departure had something to do with this mess. Well, you’d be wrong; apparently, his departure’s been planned for months. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Aug 2011 21:08

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Music: A duo of songwriting duos lose half their duo; single unrelated duo left

  • Leiber Jerry Leiber, the Leiber of Leiber & Stoller, died Monday at age 78. He and Mike Stoller wrote such noteworthy songs as “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Yakety Yak.” Elvis Presley recorded many of their songs.
  • Ashford Also Monday, Nick Ashford of Motown duo Ashford & Simpson died at 70. He and Valerie Simpson wrote such hits as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing.” Two duos, two deaths, one day. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Aug 2011 18:44

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Politics: Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein hires a criminal defense lawyer

  • Lloyd lawyers up: The Goldman Sachs CEO has hired the services of Reid Weingarten, an accomplished defense attorney who’s worked for former executives from WorldCom Inc. and Enron — this news caused a predictable dip in the value of Goldman’s shares, which closed down 4.7% on Monday. The obvious market concern is that Blankfein will be dealing with inquiries from the Senate subcommittee charged with investigating wrongdoings of the 2008 financial crisis, and whether his hiring a top-flight attorney suggests looming legal trouble. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Aug 2011 18:22

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Politics: PETA to launch porn site, mingling sex and mistreated animals

  • We live in a 24 hour news cycle world, and we learn the racy things we do are sometimes the most effective way that we can reach particular individuals.
  • PETA Spokesperson Linsay Rijt • Speaking on the intentions of PETA’s upcoming porn venture, to come with the advent of the new .xxx web addresses. The idea, it seems, is to mix together porn with pictures and information about mistreated and abused animals, the porn being the means to grab attention in the most basic way possible. We’re animal lovers, to be sure, but this sounds like an unpleasant and deeply silly idea, and isn’t something we can’t imagine would have any sort of broad appeal. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

22 Aug 2011 17:58

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World: Canadian NDP leader Jack Layton dies of cancer

  • Jack Layton, dead at 61: The leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, Layton had temporarily stepped down in July for cancer treatment. He was widely credited with steering the NDP towards a less leftist platform than the party had typically stood for, its origins being heavily infused with labor interests. This strategy, arguments about ideology aside, gave the NDP a massive boost to its prominence and mainstream, middle-class appeal, and reaped major electoral gains. Best wishes to Jack Layton’s friends and family in such painful times — he will be well missed and well mourned. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Aug 2011 17:08

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World: Kim Jong-Il meets with Russian President Medvedev

  • Kim Jong-Il’s Russian rendezvous: The North Korean dictator is traveling through Russia by means of an armored train, on a route expected to keep him abroad for the next week or so (North Korea is generally much tighter-lipped about his schedule than they seem to have been this time). He’s reportedly scheduled for a meeting with Russian President Dimitry Medvedev, which analysts believe may be about a gas pipeline Russia would like to run into South Korea, through Northern territory. The deal could bring North Korea nearly $500 million a year, a very considerable chunk of change. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Aug 2011 10:47

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World: Delayed reaction of the day: Silvio Berlusconi’s plea to the Libyan rebels

  • Now, you might not know this, but there’s a bit of a civil war going on at the moment in Libya. The rebels are fairly close to victory — so close they can smell it. So, right on cue, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a former colonial leader of Libya who was once an ally to Gaddafi and a reluctant partner in the NATO campaign in Libya, has urged the rebels “to abstain from any violence.” Now … look. We can see that there is obvious danger of things escalating, and the rebels do need to be careful to approach the situation carefully. But seriously, this is the wrong time for this comment if he’s going to make it. This is, like, a war, man. Things like this happen. But to tell the rebels to drop their weapons now, at a key time in the country’s history where they’re about to win, seems just a little bit tone-deaf to the current situation. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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