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20 Dec 2011 10:42

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World: Kim Jong-Il lies in state; Kim Jong-Un amongst the mourners

  • A fallen leader makes way for an untested one: On Tuesday, North Koreans mourned the loss of Kim Jong-Il, an official whose outward appearances to the West perhaps didn’t match the sorrow those who lived in the region felt for his loss. (State television was full of images, much like the one above, of the leader lying in a glass coffin.) All of which leaves new leader Kim Jong-Un with some pretty big shoes to fill — especially for a country that has both incredible hardships and nuclear weapons at its disposal. Not that the country didn’t appear optimistic about his chances: “The respected comrade Kim Jong-un’s ideology equals General Kim Jong-il’s ideology and will,” a North Korean state radio report claimed. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Dec 2011 00:53

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Tech: Clothing with a twist: Smartphones could gain a couple wearable friends

  • Years ago, researchers envisioned these tiny computers transmitting information to the Internet. It wasn’t what we envisioned, but it happened. It’s called the smartphone.
  • Yael Maguire, a visiting scientist at M.I.T. and Harvard • On the advancement of phone technologies in more wearable directions. Secret projects led by Google and Apple could allow users to carry around lightweight, connected devices that fit in with what you’re already wearing — think a bracelet-style iPod with the ability to talk to Siri whenever you want.  All of this is possible thanks to the invention of the smartphone, which is kind of a wearable computer already. We bet these toys will work perfectly with mock turtlenecks.  source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Dec 2011 00:45

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Culture: Recession-era must have, apparently: Nail polish. Nail polish?

  • correlation This year, nail polish sales jumped 59% from 2010. Despite economic troubles, it appears that painted nails are one expense that’s worth the plunge. “Beauty is one thing women never forget about,” said Demitrius Simpkins, a manager at a New York salon.
  • causation Such a growth in sales is probably because more buyers are interested in painting their own nails instead of paying for salon visits.  “Some women who used to come every Monday now come maybe every other Monday,” Simpkins claimed. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Dec 2011 00:33

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U.S.: FBI report: Violent crimes continue sharp decline in 2011

  • 8.6% decline in arson cases in the first half of 2011, according to an FBI report
  • 7.7% decline in robberies in the same period; other metrics also fell source
  • » A downward trend continues: When the FBI compared the first half of 2010 to the first half of 2011, they found that violent crimes were down in quite a number of categories, including murder, rape and aggrivated assault. Why has crime been in a downward trend? It could be due to “tougher laws, better policing and an aging population.” That’s right, guys: Our cultural old age is (possibly) causing a drop in crime.
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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