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10 Nov 2011 23:25

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World: Who will protect the rhinoceros, much less harness its power?

  • Some rhinos aren’t long for this world: “A lack of political support and willpower for conservation efforts in many rhino habitats, international organized crime groups targeting rhinos and increasing illegal demand for rhino horns and commercial poaching are the main threats faced by rhinos,” said the International Union for Conservation of Nature in their latest update to their list of endangered species with the Western Black Rhino of Africa. It is possible for endangered species to bounce back but not without effort and rehabilitation programs. source
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10 Nov 2011 23:14

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U.S.: Pennsylvania governor “disappointed” in Penn State officials

  • We need to protect children. We need to act. I’ve seen many instances where people have power and assume they are above the law.
  • Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett • Discussing the Penn State situation, which led to the forced exits of legendary football coach Joe Paterno and school president Graham Spanier. He said he was “disappointed” by the school officials. “Their actions caused me not to have confidence in their ability to lead,” said Corbett, who (as the state’s Attorney General) launched the investigation into suspected child molester Jerry Sandusky and the Penn State program back in 2009. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Nov 2011 15:16

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Politics: Rick Perry tries to overcome debate gaffe by flaunting it

  • Making weakness a strength: That would seem to be the strategy Rick Perry is employing to try to weather his absolutely excruciating brain-lock at last night’s presidential debate (if you haven’t watched it yet, you really should). His tact from the moment he got off the stage (with reports from the spin room that he acknowledged he’d “stepped in it,” and a similar Tweet) seems to suggest his damage control plan is light humor at his own expense, to hope “oops” becomes a humanizing moment. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Nov 2011 14:58

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World: Greece finally has its new Prime Minister

  • Papademos walks into a tumult: After days of chaotic political wrangling and general panic over Greece’s debt crisis (as well as the euro zone writ large, as Italy teeters on a dire edge), a new Prime Minister has been selected to replace the outgoing George Papandreau. The new man in charge is Lucas Papademos, the former VP of the European Central Bank. “The course will not be easy. But the problems, I’m convinced, will be solved. They will be solved faster, with a smaller cost and in an efficient way, if there is unity, agreement and prudence,” he said. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Nov 2011 14:34

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Culture: New Colonel Sanders recipe book discovered

  • This is a new kind of book. There’s never been another written like it as far as I know. It’s the story of a man’s life and the story of the food he’s cooked and eaten, running right along with it. … To me, my recipes are priceless.
  • Harland “Colonel” Sanders • In the introduction to a hitherto unknown manuscript penned by the Kentucky Fried Chicken honcho himself, which is full of down-home advice and plenty of his own recipes through the years. Absent is his most famous one — the fried chicken recipe that the KFC corporation claims to keep locked away in a vault somewhere (this new original manuscript is now in there as well, reportedly) — which is why KFC intends to release this Sanders cookbook for free download on their website. Worth remembering in assessing the Sanders culinary legacy is that he wasn’t so enamored with KFC after he sold his U.S. operations in the 60s’; he was sued by the company in 1974 for calling their gravy “sludge” with a “wallpaper taste.” source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Nov 2011 14:20

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U.S.: Richard Nixon’s grand jury testiomny on Watergate released

  • Happy Richard Nixon day! At least that may reflect the feelings of some journalists, historians, or really anybody with a passion for perusing formerly secret documents. The release today comes thanks to requests made by Stanley Kutler, a Watergate-era historian. He says he’s excited to read the testimony, since before the grand jury Nixon had none of his advisers or handlers to help him along — “Nixon unplugged,” as Kutler puts it. Though it’s already been reported that the testimony yields no new bombshells or admissions by Nixon, we still think this is pretty cool. You can read the files (PDF) through the source link, or download them directly from the Government Printing Office website. (photo via Flickr’s Hunter-Desportes) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Nov 2011 11:19

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World: Wilson Ramos: Washington Nationals catcher kidnapped in Venezuela

  • The vehicle was found, but Ramos is still missing: In a harrowing incident sure to bring attention the the spate of armed kidnappings in Venezuela, four armed kidnappers took Wilson Ramos, who just finished his rookie season with the Washington Nationals, from his home in Santa Ines. The 24-year-old is one of hundreds of people captured in recent years — including 619 in 2009 alone. It’s gotten to the point where the wealthy in the country — including baseball players, who take part in winter leagues — pay for security detail. “Every Major League player has his own security, but we don’t know if at that time he had his security there,” notes Domingo Alvarez, vice president of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Our thoughts are with Ramos, his family, and his team. (photo by Keith Allison on Flickr) source
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10 Nov 2011 10:57

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World: Sudanese military attacks refugee camp in newly-formed South Sudan

  • 12 killed after a Sudanese military plane bombed South Sudan source
  • » A bad harbinger? Months after Sudan split in two, the attack on a South Sudanese refugee camp — filled with many fleeing from Sudan proper — could prove dangerous to the fragile new nation. The two countries have a long, troubled history together, with the most recent civil war (which led to the split earlier this year) ending in 2005 after 22 years. “Whatever allegations Khartoum labels against the Republic of South Sudan are baseless, but intended to justify his pending invasion of the south,” said Salva Kiir, South Sudan’s first president, who says that while peaceful solutions are best, “we will never allow our sovereignty to be violated by anybody.”
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Nov 2011 10:37

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World: Turkey quake: Riot police put down protesters upset with relief efforts

  • cause A strong 5.7-magnitude earthquake in eastern Turkey on Wednesday — the second in the region in three weeks — killed eight and forced rescuers to start searching for those missing once again, weeks after the first quake killed more than 600 people.
  • reaction A group of around 200 protesters, upset with the rescue efforts and the conditions in which they were living, had to be held back using riot police carrying tear gas and batons. Many of the protesters have been living in tents at a time of cold weather. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Nov 2011 10:19

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Politics: Rick Perry looking for mea culpa after infamous debate gaffe

  • If anyone’s looking for the slickest politician or the smoothest debater, I readily admit I’m not that person. I’m hoping the American people are the types of individuals who understand that there are mistakes that get made.
  • Texas Gov. Rick Perry • Defending his infamous gaffe, where he awkwardly forgot one of the departments he recommended eliminating, on “Fox & Friends” this morning. Many, including us, called it a campaign-killer. He’s not doing bad as far as the apologies go, though, and that could save him. Can he be a frontrunner again, though? Considering he came in as the Great Texas Hope, that’s the real question. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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