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31 Aug 2011 23:34

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Biz, Politics: Rick Perry: Totally backed that AT&T merger with T-Mobile

  • $500,000 from AT&T to Rick Perry source
  • » AT&T’s contributions = Rick Perry’s support? Back in May, Rick Perry told the FCC he backed the AT&T/T-Mobile merger. “I believe that this merger will continue to provide for great consumer choice, offer a wide range of service options, and spur continued innovation,” he wrote. He might’ve had a little help from those campaign contributions over the past decade. AT&T has a bit of a history of going out of its way to turn public favor its way, going so far as to bizarrely convince GLAAD to support the merger. With the Justice Department coming out against the merger and AT&T’s contributions to Perry coming under scrutiny, will Perry back down? (Strangely enough, BTW, the Justice Department’s James Cole made a statement that reads like the polar opposite of what Perry wrote: “We believe the combination of AT&T and T-Mobile would result in tens of millions of consumers all across the United States facing higher prices, fewer choices, and lower-quality products for their mobile wireless services.” Hrm.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 22:52

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U.S.: Texas, Oklahoma wildfires damage buildings, force evacuations

  • The ground is so dry, because of the drought, that one welding spark or a cigarette tossed could easily ignite a fire.
  • Jesse Moore, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Fort Worth, Texas • Commenting on how easy it is to start wildfire. Texas is seeing one of the worst fire seasons on record, including the devastating fires earlier this year in April. The fires started on Tuesday; as of Wednesday night, the wildfires have damaged 39 homes and buildings over 6,200 acres of land. These wildfires are also threatening cities in Oklahoma. Authorities have asked local residents to evacuate, so stay safe, guys. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 21:48

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Tech: An iPhone prototype walked into a bar and … poof. (Yes, again)

  • 2 iPhone prototypes lost at bars; Apple workers probably shouldn’t drink source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 21:17

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U.S., World: Tropical Storm Katia could become Hurricane Katia overnight

  • yeah … Meteorologists expect Tropical Storm Katia to strengthen into a hurricane tonight — making it the second Atlantic-based hurricane in a week. (Dunno if you heard, but the last one was a bit of a doozy.) The storm’s current path shows Katia moving west-northwest toward North America.
  • … but Don’t freak out yet, though — the storm may never actually hit land. See, storms in the Atlantic often get blown off course by jet stream winds that run west-to-east across the U.S. Those winds plus east-to-west winds across Africa cause the storm to “recurve.” Many hurricanes die out this way. source
  • » A coulda-been Katrina: Storm-trackers give hurricanes their names based on six standardized lists that they then cycle through; each year has a different list, so we’ll see 2011’s list again in 2017. Had 2005 not been a devastating year of storms, Katia would still be “Katrina”.
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 17:14

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Politics: Boehner asks Obama to reschedule congressional jobs address

  • Boehner wants Obama’s jobs address pushed back: It’s being reported that House Speaker John Boehner has asked President Obama to reschedule his jobs address to the Congress, which is set for September 7th, to the following day. Reports offer no specific elaboration on Boehner’s motive beyond his citing a “tight schedule,” which if it’s referring either explicitly or tacitly to the GOP Presidential debate that night makes it seem a slightly tacky pitch. It’s not as if the GOP field won’t have months to batter each other around, on-stage and off, and it feels like a surprisingly audacious request. Then again, John Boehner is the man widely reported to have snubbed Obama’s phone call, so maybe asking for a rain check isn’t such a big deal? source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 16:37

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Politics: How is the corporate pay/corporate tax balance doing?

  • 25 highly paid CEOs earn more than their company’s income taxes source
  • » The high cost of big loopholes? The angst you may have had or heard the past few years about corporate tax loopholes and decadent executive pay comes home to roost nicely in this study by the Institute for Policy Studies, a left-wing Washington think-tank. As is typical in the strange and sometimes muddy world of Washington think-tanks, some have doubted the study (which found that 25 of the 100 highest paid CEOs in America earned more than their company paid in income tax), calling its accounting methods into question — in this case, corporate spokespeople for Boeing and General Electric.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 16:29

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World: Researchers conclude unprecedently old origin date for stone tools

  • 1.76million-year-old tools oldest known of Homo erectus source
  • » Spanning the depths of time: American researchers working at Columbia University have determined the age of a collection of stone tools discovered near Lake Turkana, Kenya, dating them st the above figure. They used a paleomagnetic method to achieve this, as the silt and hardened clay on the tools preserved a record of the earth’s magnetic polarity. By analyzing the polarity reversals that have occurred over time, the researchers drew this conclusion. This would make them the earliest known example of Homo erectus tools, with 2 million years being the most common estimate as to when erectus evolved. Isn’t science fun?
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

31 Aug 2011 15:46

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Biz: Solar buisness visited, touted by Obama last year files for bankruptcy

  • then In May 2010, President Obama visited Solyndra, a solar panel business based out of Fremont, CA. Solyndra was a business of great interest and investment by the government — they received a $535 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy in 2009.
  • now Solyndra will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy next week, a move that Reuters reports was caused by their being undercut by lower-cost Chinese competitors. The bankruptcy would be the third such filing for a prominent solar energy business in the past month. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 15:26

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World: Libyan transition deputy chairman says Gaddafi is in Bani Walid

  • Libyan rebels believe Gaddafi is cornered: The New York Times is reporting that the Libyan rebels believe Muammar Gaddafi has been pinned down in Bani Walid, a desert town that sits about 150 miles from Tripoli. Said Abdul Hafith Ghoga, the deputy chairman of Libya’s transition council: “Since today we have learned that he is staying in Bani Walid, we are waiting to give him a chance to surrender.” It’s worth remembering that yesterday, Libyan council leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil gave Gaddafi loyalists a four-day surrender deadline. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 11:28

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Offbeat: Arkansas homeowner spots burglars — while flying overhead

  • Lesson of the day to burglars: Just because a homeowner isn’t home doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a killer home security system. Even if, in the case of Arkansas resident Steven Lynn, the “home security system” was totally unintentional and he was simply taking aerial photos of his home … in a plane. From a vantage point that allowed him to call 911 so the cops could arrest the two dudes attempting to steal his stuff. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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