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18 Oct 2011 20:01

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Politics: Stumpin’ in Sin City: Three things to look for in tonight’s debate

  • Hello, and welcome to yet another GOP debate! YAY WE’RE SO EXCITED! Hopefully Anderson Cooper won’t screw this up (don’t take any tips from Wolf Blitzer, bro). Here are a few things to look for during tonight’s debate:
  • Herman Cain …has the most to gain, and the most to lose. He could solidify his standing as the co-frontrunner and anti-Romney candidate by giving thoughtful answers to substantive policy questions, but if he’s caught flat-footed, it’ll confirm to many that he is, in fact, the (pizza-toned) flavor of the week.
  • Mitt Romney …has so far been able to coast along simply by not screwing up, but this debate could be different. Given Cain’s momentum, Romney will have to go at least somewhat on the offensive, or risk getting flattened by The Cain Train. It’ll be interesting to see whether he goes all-out against Cain.
  • Rick Perry…could, in theory, make a comeback tonight. But that was true about the last debate, too, where he not only failed to capitalize on the opportunity, but didn’t even really seem to care about capitalizing on it. On the plus side, his performance will likely be hailed as a success if he doesn’t fall asleep at the podium.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Oct 2011 17:33

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Politics: Herman Cain keeps voters in the dark on his advisers

  • The Cain Brain: In advance of tonight’s GOP debate, everybody is tabbing new polling frontrunner Herman Cain as the man to watch. Since last debate, however, he’s absorbed scrutiny over his foreign policy credentials (or lack thereof), which has been exacerbated by Cain’s refusal to name his advisers. He himself spoke to this strategy in Tennessee last week: “I’m not going to tell you! They’re my advisers, not yours. They just want to know who my smart people are so they can attack them.” This is a tact that we don’t think will benefit Cain. Voters like to feel as if candidates are being more open than they need to, not less. Employing a “need to know basis” sort of argument over his adviser’s very identities just comes off badly. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Oct 2011 16:02

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World: Sec. of State Clinton visits post-Gaddafi Libya for first time

  • We want to do everything we can to prevent him from causing trouble for the new Libya. We don’t know where he is, but we hope he can be captured or killed soon so you don’t have to fear him any longer.
  • Secretary of State Hillary Clinton • Speaking in Libya, to the interim National Transitional Council. Clinton is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Libya since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi’s government during August, though the former dictator is still in hiding and his loyalists have continued to clash with NTC forces in places such as Brega. In light of the NTC’s somewhat daunting task in rebuilding Libya, especially with Gaddafi still at large and presumably eager to derail that process, Clinton and the U.S. wanted to lend some support that would also be beneficial from an optics standpoint — it should be noted, though, that the U.S. has said Clinton’s “captured or killed” phrase isn’t meant to represent any change in policy.  source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Oct 2011 11:04

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U.S.: Gallup poll: Americans favoring pot legalization at record levels

  • 50% of respondents want to see marijuana legalized — the first time it’s reached a full majority
  • 46% of respondents would rather that marijuana remain illegal … a number that’s been declining for years source
  • » Will we reach a tipping point? Quite possibly, the study suggests: “If this current trend on legalizing marijuana continues, pressure may build to bring the nation’s laws into compliance with the people’s wishes,” the summary noted. Considering the current state of affairs in California, public outcry is completely understandable. Think it’ll eventually happen?
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Oct 2011 10:36

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U.S.: Massive dust cloud rolls through Texas, looks pretty crazy

  • An inopportune time to play “Dust in the Wind”: A 8,000-foot-high dust cloud engulfed Lubbock, Texas yesterday afternoon, making for dramatic scenes like this one and lowering visibility to near-zero. Would not want to drive in this. Yikes. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Oct 2011 10:15

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World: Israel: Gilad Shalit freed, along with hundreds of Palestinians

  • I thought that I would find myself in this situation many more years. If they wanted to secure my freedom, they had to pay a price for this.
  • Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit • Discussing his situation on Egyptian television this morning after getting freed from captivity in the Gaza Strip. Freedom for Shalit, who was there for five years, did cost Israel immensely — they had to release over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners to allow for his freedom. Nearly 500 were freed today. In Palestine, those prisoners were welcomed with cheers by Hamas — while Shalit’s own return was much more subdued, with Israeli officials concerned that freeing so many prisoners at once could cause security issues. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Oct 2011 00:39

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Tech: iPhone 4S is doing crazy well in sales. Why’s that, exactly?

  • The iPhone 4s has sold 4 million units since friday. PCMag has a few ideas why Apple’s latest product has done so well so soon. There was hype surrounding the 4S, as there usually is with a new Apple product; rumors floated all summer about the phone, giving it an air of mystique. Add that to the passing of Steve Jobs, and you have a good amount of buzz. The phone is now available on more networks and in more countries, two demographics that the iPhone 4 didn’t have for its release. Plus, owning an iPhone comes with some sort of blood contract, right? source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

18 Oct 2011 00:33

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U.S.: CDC: America goes big or goes home when it comes to vices

  • $150B the yearly burden to society caused by lazy people who don’t exercise
  • $193B the yearly burden to society caused by smokers; *cough* *cough*
  • $224B the yearly burden to society caused by  “binge drinking,” our nation’s pasttime source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Oct 2011 00:18

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World: As the ice caps get smaller, so do Earth’s plants and animals. Wait, what?

  • 45% of species are shrinking over time, a new study says source
  • » Blame climate change, the study says: It’s like scary, natural shrink ray. But, yep, animals such as fish, reptiles, birds and mammals are all smaller than generations previous — apparently a difference of one degree celsius is enough to make things smaller. The researchers, who published their study in the journal Nature Climate Change, warn to not jump to conclusions, though: “We do not yet know the exact mechanisms involved, or why some organisms are getting smaller while others are unaffected,” the authors of the study, based at the National University of Singapore, said in an interview. “Until we understand more, we could be risking negative consequences that we can’t yet quantify.”
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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