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16 Aug 2011 14:13

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Politics: Rick Perry describes Federal Reserve policies as almost “treasonous”

  • Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treacherous — or treasonous in my opinion.
  • GOP Presidential hopeful Rick Perry • Laying into the Federal Reserve during an event in Cedar Rapids. Perry also said, of Fed chairman Ben Bernanke, “I don’t know what y’all would do to him in Iowa, but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas.” This demonstrates an interesting sea change in GOP politics in recent years, and one that Ron Paul himself commented on during last week’s Iowa debate — anti-Federal Reserve rhetoric has flourished with the rise of the Tea Party, and thus the GOP is now trying to catch up to Paul on one of his signature punching bags over his long congressional career. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Aug 2011 11:05

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Politics: Huffington Post stirs up controversy with design crowdsourcing idea

  • When a company like Huffington Post or GAP employs crowdsourcing to get proprietary design work done for free, the result is almost always negative. To many designers, it’s the same as asking a plumber to do some work on the pipes and in lieu of a paycheck, they’ll just put up a sign in the bathroom acknowledging all of the plumber’s hard work. But as with any fight (or tango), it takes two. Huffington Post shouldn’t have asked for free work, and up-in-arms designers should understand that their own willingness to accept work on spec is what keeps this practice around.
  • Good Magazine senior editorial designer Dylan C. Lathrop • Taking both designers and The Huffington Post to task after HuffPo held a contest to have people redesign its logo for its politics section. Now, HuffPo isn’t the only publication to ever do this — but the problem is, they’re a very successful company that can afford to pay a designer to do this, and let’s face it — the pig needs a top-down coat of paint. The Gap tried something similar when people decided that they hated their logo redesign, and they felt the pain too. Fact of matter: If you’re a company that makes millions of dollars a year and has an audience larger than a couple of people, you can afford to pay your writers pay someone to design your logos. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Aug 2011 10:46

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World: Australian study: Watching tons of TV shortens your lifespan

  • 22 minutes shorter for each hour of television you watch, lazy slob source
  • » No, TV isn’t a carcinogen: The reason for this is that when you’re watching TV, you’re usually not doing anything, least of which working out. You’re just staring at Kate Gosselin and her army of kids, learning absolutely nothing from The Learning Channel other than that you probably don’t want to be a single mom with eight kids. By the way, that 22 minutes you just wasted watching an hourlong block of Jon Gosselin’s biggest problem? That’s the same level of longevity taken away when you smoke two cigarettes. Think about that.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Aug 2011 10:11

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U.S.: Video: Three dozen dudes loot a 7-Eleven en masse, steal tons of stuff

  • It’s not a “flash mob,” but: Our friends at Gawker got caught up in the phrasing used to describe this mass robbery of a store that doesn’t usually close, but let’s make no mistake — dozens of kids running into a 7-Eleven and stealing crap without care is generally not a common occurrence. And for this one store in Germantown, Md., it’s a pain they know too well. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Aug 2011 02:48

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Biz: Starbucks CEO to corporations: Get off your butt and hire some people!

  • Record levels of cash are piling up in corporate treasuries, idling. The only way to break this cycle of fear is to break it.
  • Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz • Following the lead of Warren Buffett and pushing for more responsibility from those that can afford it. While Buffett went after super-rich taxpayers; Schultz instead is going after corporations that are sitting on piles of cash, yet are staying on the sidelines and choosing not to hire more people — or worse, putting that money into political campaigns in hopes of putting business-friendly leadership in power in 2012. While Starbucks has had union issues and gay rights issues crop up recently, the company does have a reputation for treating its employees better than most corporations of its size. Kudos, Howard. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Aug 2011 22:30

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U.S.: Arizona: Home of the Grand Canyon and the country’s cheapest gas

  • desert Quick, road trip to Arizona! The state has seen the lowest gas prices of the country since early July. Residents of the state pay an average of $3.347 per gallon, and if you’re in Tucson, you’re paying a fairly svelte $3.255 per gallon.
  • oasis? Quick, road trip to — uh, maybe not. The islands of Hawaii show the country’s highest price per gallon since March: over $4. But you wouldn’t be able to drive to Hawaii anyway, unless your car was equipped with fins. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Aug 2011 21:35

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Culture: TLC cancels “Kate Plus 8”; do you think Mady cried?

  • 150 episodes later, the Gosselins’ reality TV reign will end source
  • » This season will be their last. TLC decided not to renew “Kate Plus 8” after the current season. The network may continue to check in with the family — famously torn apart after Kate Gosselin divorced her husband Jon, with the reality TV fallout that followed — through televised specials. Thank goodness, because we were getting worried.
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

15 Aug 2011 21:26

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Politics: Missing from last week’s Iowa debates: A feisty Buddy Roemer

  • it’s because he’s got such a rad name. Roemer, the former Louisiana governor, is one of the many Republican presidential candidates. But he wasn’t invited to last week’s debate due to low polling numbers. Too bad, because his tweets during the debate make him seem like a real hoot. While we learned that Bachmann thinks submission is “respect,” Roemer tweeted “Submission to an atheist must mean whips and chains. Good statement Congresswoman Bachmann.” Ice burn. Next time this happens, Buddy, consider having a Super Bowl-style party with Fred Karger, a candidate in the very same situation. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Aug 2011 17:50

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Politics: Clinton: Rick Perry is a “good looking rascal”

  • I got tickled by watching Governor Perry announce for governor, for president. He’s a good looking rascal.
  • Bill Clinton • At a firefighter’s conference in New York. He went on to illustrate the hypocrisy of someone like Perry, whose political career has hinged on hatred and mistrust of the federal government, running for president; “I mean, this is crazy,” Clinton said. But that’s boilerplate Perry criticism; as far as we’re concerned, the real story is that he called him a “good looking rascal.” We’re now going to utilize every resource at our disposal to try and find video of this. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Aug 2011 10:58

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Politics: Paul Krugman. Fareed Zakaria. Space aliens. Bizarre arguments.

  • Dear Paul Krugman, your bizarre argument in favor of using a faked space alien invasion as a way to improve the economy does one thing: It gives kooks fodder for kookdom. *facepalm* This is not an argument befitting a Nobel Laureate. (h/t Jayel Aheram) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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