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07 Jun 2009 22:04

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Biz, Politics: The newspaper industry doesn’t know what it’s doing. Duh.

  • As someone who still loves newspapers and the possibilities of thriving local news organizations, I find the thinking of this industry group depressing. What does it say that these API white papers may represent the best ideas of the industry’s business leaders?
  • Former Rocky Mountain News editor John Temple • Discussing the nature of a recent closed-door summit of newspaper publishers as well as a whitepaper by the American Press Institute, both of which leaned on with all sorts of great ideas such as charging for news online, attacking copyright violators like the RIAA and taking market share from Craigslist. (Disclosure: We worked on a solution a couple months ago.) Temple (who, as the editor of a shuttered newspaper, has better insight than most) has a solid key point worth repeating: “How is the newspaper industry going to attract any of the best and brightest into its ranks if its ideas are stale, at best?” Smart stuff. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jun 2009 21:31

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Music, Politics: Iggy Pop has a huge problem with wannabe-brainy bands

  • I took great pains not to think first, because the thing I can’t stand is a rock star who thinks he’s got brains. They’re always so damned dull!
  • Rock god Iggy Pop • In a video where he bashes “crappy music” by “idiot thugs with guitars.” He was talking, specifically, about modern rock acts like Smashing Pumpkins and (uh) Limp Bizkit. Pop, by the way, is going a completely different direction with his latest album, “Preliminaires,” which is jazz-influenced and probably a better idea than that Stooges album which critics hated back in 2007. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jun 2009 20:47

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Politics: Max Headroom: Sunday talk show recap for June 7, 2009

  • Hilary’s 3 a.m. test On “This Week,” George Stephanopoulos asked Hilary Clinton whether her boss, Barack Obama, passed the “3 a.m. test” used in a primary campaign ad:

  • Hilary’s 3 a.m. test On “This Week,” George Stephanopoulos asked Hilary Clinton whether her boss, Barack Obama, passed the “3 a.m. test” used in a primary campaign ad:

  • Hilary as veep in 2012? CNN’s “State of The Union” went the logical road with Clinton’s statement, with Republican strategist Alex Castellanos saying she could replace Joe Biden:

  • Hilary’s 3 a.m. test On “This Week,” George Stephanopoulos asked Hilary Clinton whether her boss, Barack Obama, passed the “3 a.m. test” used in a primary campaign ad:

  • Hilary as veep in 2012? CNN’s “State of The Union” went the logical road with Clinton’s statement, with Republican strategist Alex Castellanos saying she could replace Joe Biden:

  • Newt’s talks “racialist” “Face the Nation” provided Newt Gingrich an opportunity to clarify whether he thinks Sonia Sotomayor is racist, but he somehow clouded the issue more:

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jun 2009 11:05

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Politics, U.S.: Arlen Specter does a dog and pony show for Pennsylvania Dems

  • Maybe it’s no coincidence that I’ve been derided for years by the far-right as a Republican in name only. Well, I’m no longer a Republican. I’m again a Democrat, and I’m pleased and proud to be a Democrat.
  • Sen. Arlen Specter • Speaking in front of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party yesterday, where he was making his debut as a Democrat. He switched parties a month ago, a move so stunning that it caused a 2.8 earthquake to rumble through the District of Columbia (OK, not really). The feeling was mutual in Pa. One Democratic organizer, Jim Burn, noted it was “a little surreal to see someone here who many men and women in the room spent 30 years trying to beat.” • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jun 2009 17:32

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Politics: Rick Sanchez manages to get Bill O’Reilly to apologize. Whoa!

  • Rick Sanchez’s burn Bill O’Reilly claimed there was a lack of coverage of the military recruiter murder story on CNN. Rick Sanchez disagreed.

  • Rick Sanchez’s burn Bill O’Reilly claimed there was a lack of coverage of the military recruiter murder story on CNN. Rick Sanchez disagreed.

  • O’Reilly’s apology The guy himself apologized, but not before calling Sanchez “a snide and surley guy on CNN.” Oooh, testy.

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Jun 2009 10:29

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Biz, Politics: Why we all don’t want to work for Wal-Mart

  • 34 number of hours per week that constitute “full-time” at Wal-Mart; just about everywhere else, it’s 40 source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Jun 2009 10:53

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Politics, U.S.: George Tiller’s murder shows flaws in “pro-life” movement

  • Nothing exposes this fundamental inconsistency and instability in the ethic of life as a description of the anti-abortion movement more than ‘pro-life’ murder.
  • Theology professor Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite • Who argues that the way to reduce abortions, rather than through fiery, passionate protests, may be through sex education and financial support of poor women stuck in the undesirable position of keeping a child. She says a “pro-life” movement that leads to murder is a flawed movement. Scott Roeder, the suspect in the George Tiller shooting, apparently felt that the murder of an abortionist was justifiable. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 5 Comments • Permalink
 

31 May 2009 21:18

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Politics: George Tiller’s greatest foe, Operation Rescue, denounces his murder

  • We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning. We pray for Mr. Tiller’s family that they will find comfort and healing that can only be found in Jesus Christ.
  • Operation Rescue • In a statement released to the press. The organization was famous for their stance against the late-term abortion specialist, and it’s somewhat bizarre to hear this statement from an organization that published the addresses of him and his employees, as well as the church where he was murdered, and had a “Tiller Watch” section of their Web site, which they conveniently took down today. (Thanks, Google cache!) May we argue that the discourse of this entire debate, on both sides, has gotten out of control? • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink

31 May 2009 12:11

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Politics, Tech: The evolution of the art of writing in the age of blogs

  • Philip Greenspun of MIT argues that, before the Web, you could either write books or mid-sized articles of four to five pages. Publishing was constricted. source
  • When the internet first came about, he argues, it allowed for long articles – 20 to 30 pages – to be easily printed. But short bites didn’t make sense online. source
  • His argument concludes that blogging solved the biggest problem of the media age – now people can easily write short. Well, that’s what we’re doing, anyway. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 May 2009 18:35

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Politics, U.S.: Republicans criticize Obama for going out on a date

  • As President Obama prepares to wing into Manhattan’s theater district on Air Force One to take in a Broadway show, GM is preparing to file bankruptcy and families across America continue to struggle to pay their bills.
  • RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho • On the president’s choice to take a night off from his job and go out on a date with his wife Michelle in New York City. We think her argument that Obama’s taking the night off from one of the hardest white-collar jobs you’ll find is overblown (especially since Bush set a high mark for vacation days), but her side argument that Obama shouldn’t be spending taxpayer money on this is spot-on. Obama is taking the smaller plane, but it still costs lots of money to run it. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink
 
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