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23 Dec 2011 19:51

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Politics: Not enough signatures: Rick Perry will remain off Virginia ballot

  • misery A day after frantically attempting to get himself on the primary ballot in Virginia, Perry was told he did not fit the requirements — 10,000 signatures, including 400 from each congressional district. Perry’s camp claimed it submitted 11,900. That sound you hear is Perry beating his head against a table.
  • company Perry wouldn’t be alone amongst those not on the ballot — Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum passed on the opportunity to gather signatures, and Newt Gingrich is still waiting to find out if his passed muster. Ron Paul and Mitt Romney met the requirements. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Dec 2011 14:28

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Politics: Obama on signing the two-month payroll tax-cut extension … finally

  • I promise you, the American people, your voices made a difference on this debate. You reminded people in this town what this debate and what all of our debates should be about: It’s about you; it’s about your lives; it’s about your families.
  • President Obama • Speaking about the debate around the payroll tax cuts, which finally reached his desk today after a solid week of hand-wringing by the House GOP. Here’s the plan from here on out, according to the president: “We’re going to have to roll up our sleeves together, Democrats and Republicans, to make sure that the economy is growing and to make sure that more jobs are created.” Think he’s making headway? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Dec 2011 14:11

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Biz: Reed Hastings punished financially for Netflix’s sucky year

  • $1.5 million chopped off his stock options in 2012 source
  • » Merry Christmas, screwup: The Netflix CEO, who oversaw a months-long decline in his company’s stock price in the wake of customer-angering moves, lost half of his stock options for next year — from $3 million to $1.5 million. The company will likely face its first net loss in more than a decade next year, due in part to lost subscribers.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Dec 2011 23:20

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Tech: GoDaddy faces all-out boycott over stated SOPA support

  • Why they support SOPA GoDaddy has been one of the more vocal supporters of SOPA, as a statement they submitted to the House of Representatives makes clear: “As much as some would like to paint a bleak picture, this debate is not about Hollywood vs. Silicon Valley. This debate is about preserving, protecting, and creating American jobs and protecting American consumers from the dangers that they face on-line.”
  • Prone to controversy GoDaddy doesn’t exactly have the most pristine reputation among tech companies (what with its scantily-clad commercials and elephant-hunting CEO), but it hasn’t hurt their service in the past. Why? Quick — name another company that sells domains off the top of your head. Most people probably can’t. That’s what might hurt this boycott amongst mainstream users.
  • An uphill battle? GoDaddy users face a very similar situation to PayPal or Craigslist or Internet Explorer— no matter how controversial, user-unfriendly, or outdated the service may get, the market leader is seated pretty firmly due to years of market recognition and popularity, and it’ll take a lot to shake them. GoDaddy’s offered annoyed users a good reason to move elsewhere, however. But how many will there be? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Dec 2011 20:58

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U.S.: Arizona State student describes recovery after going missing for 10 days

  • I am so thankful to be alive and warm. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers — they worked. At times I was afraid, but mostly I had faith that I would be found.
  • Arizona State University student Lauren Elizabeth Weinberg • Making a statement about her 10-day ordeal, in which she and her car were stranded in a remote, snow-covered part of Arizona. She survived on just two candy bars and snow water she melted in the sun. After taking a drive with no particular destination, she found herself stuck with roughly two feet of snow around her. She lacked a blanket or heavy coat to keep warm, making her survival all the more remarkable to rescuers. Good luck in your recovery, Lauren. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Dec 2011 20:39

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World: North Korean state media: Jimmy Carter offered condolences

For some reason, right-leaning blogs and news sites are obsessed with this story. Mind you, this is also the same North Korean media which has been using extremely figurative language to describe Dear Leader’s death. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Dec 2011 20:08

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Politics: A rare concession: House GOP loses on payroll tax-cut issue

  • The GOP lost one. The tell-tale signs were everywhere. On a day where John Boehner lost support from the GOP establishment on blocking a payroll tax-cut plan — which mind you, was just for two months, and otherwise would’ve been a big GOP victory because of the Democratic concessions made — the political kayfabe finally gave way to inevitability. Here’s how it went down. (Photo by Gage Skidmore, that guy who takes all the GOP politician photos on Flickr)
  • cause For months, Republicans were soft on the idea of extending payroll tax cuts into 2012, a key issue for Democrats, because they thought it didn’t stimulate the economy. Eventually, the Senate passed a limited extension, but the House wouldn’t go for it.
  • reaction For days, House speaker John Boehner faced significant pressure over the House’s stance, and eventually his own party started criticizing the late-December move, which they believed could give the Democrats major leverage in 2012.
  • result Today, Boehner  gave in, with the House speaker allowing for a voice vote on the issue. “We have fought the good fight,” Boehner said. “Why not do the right thing for the American people even though it’s not exactly what we want?” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

22 Dec 2011 11:28

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Biz: Christmas miracle: Why Virginia farms plant lots of evergreens these days

  • cause Tobacco has long been a key crop for farmers in Virginia, and until the early 2000s, it was a heavily-regulated industry, with quotas and price supports for farmers. However, in 2004, the industry was largely deregulated.
  • reaction After the deregulation happened, farmers got money from the federal government allowing them to focus on new kinds of crops. One of the big ones? Christmas trees, which are hard to smoke but pretty easy to decorate. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Dec 2011 11:18

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Politics: Three ways Web sites and users have been protesting SOPA

  • People upset with the Stop Online Piracy Act have a small reason to cheer this morning. The anti-piracy bill, which many Internet users feel could have a chilling effect on the Web, got tabled until early next year, giving a brief respite and an opportunity for alternative bills (such as Rep. Darrell Issa’s OPEN act) to gain footing. Being a creative bunch, many users have taken to design tricks, boycotts, even music to protest what they feel is a dangerous bill. Here are just a few examples of SOPA protests online:
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Dec 2011 10:40

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Politics: Newt Gingrich wants Lincoln-Douglas-style debate with Mitt Romney

  • I’ve challenged Governor Romney to meet me for ninety minutes in Iowa next week, anywhere, anytime. Timekeeper. No moderator. And we will bring all of his negative ads and show them for free and he can explain them.
  • Newt Gingrich • Offering Mitt Romney a free Lincoln-Douglas style presidential debate ahead of the January 3 Iowa Caucuses; we hope that Gingrich decides to throw in a continental breakfast to sweeten the deal! They could, like, drink some juice, eat some rubber pancakes, and talk Israel. They wouldn’t even have to stand at podiums! They could just do it in the Marriott and put it on USTREAM. It’d be awesome. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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