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26 Dec 2011 20:09

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World: Obama administration: Yemen’s Saleh headed to U.S. for medical treatment

  • In the end, we felt there was enough good to be gained that it was worth managing the criticism that we’d get, including any comparisons to past episodes.
  • A U.S. official • Speaking about the decision to let Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh into the U.S. for medical reasons — which runs counter to what Saleh himself said a couple of days ago. The Yemeni leader claimed over the weekend that he would head to the U.S. just to get away from the region to let electoral officials do their work, but considering the fact that Saleh got burned so severely in his assassination attempt, the alternate story is by no means a surprise. By the way, when the official refers to “past episodes,” he means a 1979 episode where Jimmy Carter let an ailing Iranian shah into the U.S. — which angered officials in Iran. Already, similar concerns are coming up amongst Yemeni activists who worry the U.S. may give Saleh a safe harbor. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Dec 2011 18:57

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Tech: Tweet drama: Company sues former employee over Twitter followers

  • $340k the amount the tech company PhoneDog sued a former employee for after he held onto a Twitter account post-employment
  • 17k the number of followers Noah Kravitz built up; after he left the job, he promised to continue tweeting about the company
  • $2.50 the cost per follower per month the company sued Kravitz for after the fact; they claimed he was holding onto a customer list source
  • » A precedent-setting case? For many startups, Twitter followers are starting to become the lingua franca of customer service. So, it’s fascinating to see how cases like this could set an example as things go forward. “This will establish precedent in the online world, as it relates to ownership of social media accounts,” noted NYC intellectual property lawyer Henry J. Cittone. “We’ve actually been waiting to see such a case as many of our clients are concerned about the ownership of social media accounts vis-á-vis their branding.” Which way should the courts decide in this case, anyway?
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Dec 2011 18:23

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Tech: Stratfor hacking: Anonymous leaks private subscriber list, credit card numbers

  • claim According to officials tied to the Anonymous collective, the group released a list of over 100,000 “private clients” of the secretive Stratfor security group, including credit information. Ironically, Anonymous claims the data was not encrypted. Victims who have spoken out about the hacking on Facebook have reportedly gotten targeted a second time.
  • rebuttal However, the company itself disputes Anonymous’ description of the information leaked, stating that “the disclosure was merely a list of some of the members that have purchased our publications.” The company emphasized they had no further business relationship with the clients on the list. The situation could prove a major embarrassment for the firm. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Dec 2011 12:20

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U.S.: Mystery surrounds Christmas Day murder-suicide near Dallas

  • 6 family members killed by a relative dressed as Santa Claus source
  • » A family, aged 18-60, killed: Investigators worked overnight through Monday morning to figure out what happened Sunday, as a home in Grapevine, Texas, turned into a deadly scene. “Seven people in one setting in Grapevine, that’s never happened before. Ever,” said Grapevine Police Lt. Todd Dearing, who noted victims were related, but some may not have lived in the apartment. Many of the buildings are vacant around the apartment, and the only word of the shooting was a 911 call from a line with no answer on the other end.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Dec 2011 11:47

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Politics: VIDEO: Ron Paul takes credit for controversial newsletters in 1995 video

  • We present you with the new news-oriented BuzzFeed: This video is a not-so-positive revelation for the Ron Paul camp — Paul straight-up talking up the controversial newsletters that have suddenly cropped up in the press again amidst evidence of racism. He does seem quick to take credit for the Ron Paul Survival Report in this 1995 video. (As he puts it: “I also do an investment letter,” which seems to imply he writes or at least edits it.) The question, obviously: Do the next 16 years make up for what came before this clip, anyway? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Dec 2011 11:33

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U.S.: Deadly Christmas house fire kills children, parents of NYC advertising exec

  • It is a terrible, terrible day. There probably has not been a worse Christmas day in the city of Stamford.
  • Stamford, Ct. Mayor Michael Pavia • Discussing the large house fire which left a high-profile NYC advertising exec unscathed but killed her three children, as well as her parents, on Christmas morning. Madonna Badger, who founded the Badger and Winters advertising company, was treated at a local hospital, along with a male acquaintance who was a contractor at the home. Badger bought the $1.7 million home last year. Badger’s husband, who was in NYC at the time, was taken to the home after the fire by police. No cause has been yet determined in the deadly blaze. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Dec 2011 11:16

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U.S.: Post-Christmas present: The Justice Department bends on online gambling

Back in September (and made public Friday), a Justice Department opinion changed its interpretation of the Wire Act of 1961 so it no longer bars online gambling, but only betting on sporting events or contests. source
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26 Dec 2011 10:43

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U.S.: 2011 box-office’s big drop: Major stars, horror flicks, family films flop

  • $500 million the expected drop in box office between 2010 and 2011
  • 4.5% decline the fall in box office this year, partly blamed on the lack of “Avatar”
  • hits The biggest hit of 2011? “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” which scored $381 million in the U.S. alone. The latest “Transformers” and “Twilight” movies also scored this year.
  • bombs On a $150 million budget, “Mars Needs Moms” only made $39 million worldwide. Horror films struggled, and even major stars like Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were no longer bankable.
  • surprises The two biggest were “Bridesmaids” (a female-focused twist on the Apatow film) and “The Help,” both of which had solid box-office runs. The secret? Both were aimed at older audiences. source
  • » Better news in 2012? Possibly. With such high-profile films as “The Hunger Games” and a remake of “21 Jump Street” hitting the theaters, it’s entirely possible that 2012 could hold up way better than 2011. And as “The Lion King” showed this year, 3D remakes are proving to be especially financially sound. Two fairly large ones — “Star Wars: Episode One” and “Beauty and the Beast” — will hit the box office in 2012.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Dec 2011 09:55

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World: Syrian violence flares up as Arab League observers arrive

  • bad Gunfire in the Syrian city of Homs killed at least 20, as rocket fire and machine gun shelling gained intensity throughout the Baba Amr quarter of the city, a focal point of opposition unrest.
  • worse This violence and gunfire came as observers from the Arab League — 50 in total — were about to land in  the country. A key opposition group said the observers must head to Baba Amr. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Dec 2011 20:45

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World: Sudan state radio: Khalil Ibrahim, top rebel army leader, killed

Ibrahim, the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement in the country, was considered one of the strongest rebel leaders in Darfur, and his death complicates an ongoing civil war in the region. source
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