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10 Oct 2011 23:32

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World: Hurricane Jova, two other storms strengthen in Pacific

  • Another strong storm in a strong Pacific hurricane season: Currently a Category 3 storm, Jova could become a Category 4 relatively soon. It’s already the fifth major Pacific hurricane this season, and it’s one of three storms currently brewing along the Mexican coast. Either way, when it makes landfall, expect “torrential rain and coastal flooding.” Different models suggest that the storm could head a number of different directions — including a direct hit on Mexico. We’ll be keeping an eye on this one, folks. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Oct 2011 23:21

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World: Study: Chocolate could help lower heart risk for women

  • claimEat more chocolate (in moderation), have a lower risk of getting a stroke? A Swedish study of 33,000 women seemed to come to that sweet confectionary conclusion. Dark chocolate had a better effect on heart health than other kinds.
  • rebuttal Doctors still haven’t recommended chocolate as the best way to reduce the risk of having a stroke, though. They do recommend “blood pressure medicine, quitting smoking, exercising more and eating a healthier diet.” source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Oct 2011 22:38

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U.S.: Man jumps to death near “Occupy San Diego” protest

  • The Occupy movement’s first casualty? While authorities aren’t entirely sure whether or not the death — a 42-year-old man who jumped eight stories off a parking structure near the protest site — was directly related to the protests, the death nonetheless cast a bit of a pall on the still-young protest, which has drawn a crowd of hundreds in San Diego. The man had flyers in his pockets (officials haven’t released details on what was said on the flyers), but it was unclear whether they were directly related to the Occupy protest happening nearby, or whether his death was a suicide. Nonetheless, organizers said there would be a moment of silence on Monday in honor of the man. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Oct 2011 21:40

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World: WTF: Wikileaks diplomatic cable claims Jamaicans are terror threat

  • Although not widely known, Jamaicans have been involved in some of the worst or potentially devastating acts of terrorism of the last decade.
  • A recently-uncovered Wikileaks cable from a U.S. diplomat in Jamaica • Suggesting that Jamaicans are a serious terror threat … a claim that the diplomat makes by linking three separate notable terror incidents in the past decade to people of Jamaican descent: Shoe bomber Richard Reid (his parents were Jamaican), D.C. sniper co-conspirator Lee Boyd Malvo and 2005 London bomber Germaine Lindsay. As Talking Points Memo points out, the ties are weak at best, making this 2010 diplomatic cable a bit of a bizarre footnote in the annals of Wikileaks — one with plenty of bizarre footnotes already. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Oct 2011 19:18

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Politics: Wallace Shawn joins Occupy Wall Street

  • Getting in the act: That Wallace Shawn (he of “The Princess Bride” and a notable dinner with a guy named Andre) chose to align himself with Occupy Wall Street shouldn’t come as a shock to anybody familiar with the man’s politics — he lent a hand to Michael Moore for a few scenes of “Capitalism: A Love Story,” for example. That said, the ever-expanding sphere of Occupy Wall Street’s influence continues to draw in bigger organizations (support from major unions) and famed personalities (hey look, it’s Mark Ruffalo) — as we mentioned, even a GOP presidential candidate, albeit the hopelessly unknown Buddy Roemer, plans to stop by. We’ll take this guy over Kanye any day of the week. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Oct 2011 16:32

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Politics: Gov. Jerry Brown signs open-carry gun ban in CA

  • That makes them the fifth state to have such a ban: Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill into law amidst heavy opposition from pro-gun politicians and organizations. The law makes it a misdemeanor to carry an exposed, unloaded gun out in public or in one’s vehicle, with penalties ranging from a $1000 fine to a year in prison. This law does not affect people’s right to keep properly registered firearms at home, exempts shooting and hunting events, and doesn’t change the rules for people with permits to carry concealed weapons, but that hasn’t blunted criticism. Said GOP assemblyman Tim Donnelly: “It’s really a form of tyranny.” source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Oct 2011 16:09

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Politics: Polling shows Romney up big in New Hampshire despite tepid voter loyalty

  • 38% of New Hampshire GOP voters support Mitt Romney, according to a St. Anselm/Harvard poll
  • 10% of those same voters say they’re “definitely” voting for Romney — now that’s some dissatisfaction source
  • » Sorry guys, but Mitt’s it. It’s clear as ever this isn’t the position the GOP base wants to be in. To be clear, Romney’s polling lead is huge — Herman Cain came in second place with 20%, a full 18 points behind. The enthusiasm problem, however, as displayed by the discrepancy between his general support and those truly committed to him, should be a warning sign for Team Romney. Successful political figures usually need to inspire an extreme degree of loyalty amongst their base to weather the missteps, gaffes or scandals that usually occur over the course of a long campaign process. If it’s true that nearly 3/4ths of Romney’s New Hampshire supporters are still theoretically open to jumping ship? That’s a problem.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

10 Oct 2011 15:20

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Politics: Joe the Plumber to run for Congress in 2012

  • That may be Rep. Wurzelbacher to you: Today’s profile in not realizing when your moment has passed comes courtesy of “Joe the Plumber,” who has filed papers to run for the House of Representatives in Ohio’s 9th congressional district. (Among the other folks running: Joe’s polar opposite, Dennis Kucinich, who will be mired in a primary as a result of redistricting.) Joe’s rise to national prominence came in 2008, after he challenged then-candidate Barack Obama at an Ohio event over his tax plan, then became a McCain talking point in the final presidential debate. There was a brouhaha he might run back in 2010, when he would’ve been part of the conservative tide rushing into Washington, and that climate would’ve buoyed him, but now? We think that was his shot, and he passed on it. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Oct 2011 14:41

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World: Far-left party gains unexpected strength in Polish Parliament

  • We’re fighting a culture of delegalisation. In Poland, you go to jail for insulting the President, for a word, for insulting religious feelings, insulting an official. You go to jail for drinking beer and then walking with your bike. You go to jail for smoking a joint. For abortion. This is a nihilist policy which hurts people.
  • Janusz Palikot, Polish MP • Laying out a cursory platform for his eponymous “Palikot Movement,” a far-left political party which unexpectedly surged in Poland’s election on Sunday, capturing 10% of the vote. Palikot now sits atop the relatively inexperienced liberal wing of the Polish parliament, and has been uncompromising in his advocacy of a liberal secularization of Poland. Of particular note, given the prominent role the Catholic Church plays in public life in Poland — he’s calling for an end to public funding for religious courses taught in state schools. Palikot, a former vodka magnate, was first elected in 2005. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Oct 2011 10:24

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U.S.: The person who caught Whitey Bulger? A former Icelandic beauty queen

  • plot Suspected Boston mobster Whitey Bulger managed to evade capture for decades. He was accused in at least 19 murders dating back to the 1970s.
  • capture It took police years to catch onto his scent again, and eventually they did … but only after using very targeted TV ads featuring images of his girlfriend.
  • twistThe person who sent in the tip that caught Bulger, finally? She just happened to be a former Miss Iceland. Because, hey, why not? She got a huge reward! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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