Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

05 Mar 2012 14:44

tags

Culture: Writer Jason Gay tackles the Saints’ “bounties” problem

  • As much as we’d all love football featuring clean, hard contact without dirty plays, that sounds a little like the magical cheeseburger tree.
  • Writer Jason Gay • Questioning the NFL’s efforts to make football safer for players, while recognizing that it would be virtually impossible to institute a system that dropped the injury rate to zero. The author’s comments came as part of a larger discussion of the role that violence plays in football, the commonality of defensive “bounties”, and what might be in store for football in the future as the league continues its renewed focus on the health and safety of players. What do you think? source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Mar 2012 20:00

tags

Politics: Gingrich predicts Big Oil will hand the election to the GOP

  • “That’s a pretty big burden while he’s waging war on the Catholic Church and apologizing to Islamic extremists”: In which Newt Gingrich tells CNN’s Candy Crowley that Big Oil will intentionally tank the American economy, placing an insurmountable obstacle on President Obama’s path to re-election. source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Mar 2012 19:50

tags

Politics: Obama speaks before skeptic AIPAC audience

  • Now is the time to heed that timeless advice from Teddy Roosevelt: speak softly, but carry a big stick.
  • President Barack Obama • Speaking before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the day before he is scheduled to meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Although he was quick to condemn what he believed to be “too much loose talk of war”, President Obama pleased many in attendance when he confirmed he would not support “containment” of a nuclear-armed Iran. When asked about the possibility of military intervention, the President replied, “I will not hesitate to use force when it is necessary to defend the United States and its interests.”source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2012 15:20

tags

World: Protests, arson lead to sacking of Azerbaijan governor

Governor's Mansion in Quba, Azerbaijan set ablaze

  • One day of protests, and an act of arson, were all it took to take down an unpopular Azerbaijan governor. What began with an appointed governor’s taunts of his own people, ended with the same governor’s resignation according to the Azerbaijan government. In a statement released on Friday, President Ilham Aliyev’s office confirmed that Quban Governor Rauf Gabibov had been removed from his post, after civil unrest on Thursday ended with Gabibov’s mansion in flames and protesters clashing with police. (photo via CNN iReport) source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2012 13:30

tags

World: Sarkozy says he’s not fit to lead European Commission or Council

  • I don’t think I have the qualities to be a good European Commission or European Council President.
  • French President Nicolas Sarkozy • Responding to a reporter’s question about his political future at an EU summit in Brussels, Belgium. The French president’s future came into question because, with elections next month and polls showing him in second, it’s possible this could be his last appearance at an EU summit. Sarkozy also voiced his support for recently re-elected European Council president Herman Van Rompuy, saying “I am sure I would do it less well than him.” source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2012 12:53

tags

U.S.: Tornado outbreak tears across the Midwest and South

  • Tornado outbreak leaves towns leveled, at least 33 dead. A series of tornadoes left 16 dead in Kentucky, 14 dead in Indiana,  2 in Ohio, and 1 Alabama. Officials have warned that additional fatalities could be reported, and early reports suggest that the Indiana town of Marysville has been almost completely destroyed. In an interview with CNN, Governor Mitch Daniels said, “we’re not unfamiliar with Mother Nature’s wrath out here in Indiana, but this is about as serious as we’ve seen in the years since I’ve been in this job.” (photo by C.E. Branham/The News and Tribune via Associated Press) source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2012 11:15

tags

U.S.: BP reaches massive settlement with Gulf of Mexico investors

  • $7.8B will be paid by BP to thousands affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that occurred in April 2010; the settlement doesn’t bring an end to the oil company’s legal troubles
  • $2.3B of the total settlement will go to the Gulf seafood industry alone; the company also faces separate spill-related legal actions from the governments of Louisiana and Alabama
  • $17B in additional fines could come as the result of a settlement with the US government over civilian fines resulting from the wide-reaching spill, if BP is found guilty of gross negligence source
  • » But are the fines enough to teach BP a lesson? Some say no, including shrimp producer Dean Blanchard, who told The Guardian, “I want my day in court. If they can get off with just paying the money — well, they’ve got plenty of money, they are not really going to learn a lesson.” In addition to the settlement, BP announced that it would use the remainder of the $20 billion compensation fund it raised during the summer of 2010 to settle additional complaints from residents and businesses in the region. In a statement released late Friday night, BP chief executive Bob Dudley said, “the proposed settlement represents significant progress toward resolving issues from the Deepwater Horizon accident and contributing further to economic and environmental restoration efforts along the Gulf Coast.”
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

03 Mar 2012 10:20

tags

Politics: Sandra Fluke ‘outraged’ by Rush’s attempts to silence her

  • I’m certainly not going to be silenced.
  • Georgetown student Sandra Fluke • Responding to the controversy that began Wednesday, when conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh began a series of attacks on her character and asked that she upload videos of her sexual encounters for his viewing pleasure. Fluke became the target of Limbaugh’s rage after testifying before Congress on Georgetown’s contraceptive policy; however, Limbaugh’s comments cost him four sponsors, and condemnation from pundits across the country. Friday afternoon, President Obama called Sandra to offer words of encouragement and support, and Georgetown president John J. DeGioia defended the student in a statement calling Limbaugh’s attacks “misogynistic” and “vitriolic”.  source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2012 19:54

tags

Culture: Steve Kordek, father of modern pinball, passes away at 100

Pinball Machine

  • He brought the flippers and the tilt: Kordek, who died last Sunday, revolutionized what were then called “pin games”, in which a user would drop a ball into a maze of pins, by creating the tilted game-board and dual-flipper system we’re all familiar with today. (Which, by the way, is a totally underrated form of entertainment.) When asked about his invention by the Chicago Tribune, in 2009, Kordek replied, “I was taught to be very conservative to hold down costs. There was no way I was going to put six flippers on a game when I could get away with two.” Kordek retired in 1999, and lost his wife in 2003. He’s survived by two sons, two daughters, two brothers, a sister, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. (image courtesy of flickr user jlstern)  source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2012 17:44

tags

Politics: Juan Williams and Pat Buchanan bond over high-profile firings

  • I feel like we are brothers in understanding what these groups, on the left primarily, decided that you’re not to be allowed to speak. They will banish you and make you an outcast and Pat, I’m sorry that’s happened to you.
  • Fox News Contributor Juan Williams • Wrapping up an interview with former MSNBC analyst Pat Buchanan, during which the two discussed the repeated charges of racism that Buchanan has faced. In his first interview since being fired by MSNBC, Buchanan staunchly denied all charges of racism. When asked, point-blank, by Williams if he was a racist, Buchanan replied, “Do I hate black folks? That’s what racism mean — that I hate black folks, I want them discriminted against… No!” Watch the unedited interview here. source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
top tags
older >>