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03 Aug 2010 21:42

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U.S.: The Connecticut workplace shooter seemed perfectly normal

  • From my few meetings with him, he didn’t stand out as one of those people who would do anything like this – just a co-worker to everyone.
  • Teamsters official John Hollis • Describing Omar S. Thornton, the disgruntled employee who shot and killed eight, then himself, in a workplace shooting. Thornton had just finished a disciplinary meeting with management at Manchester, Conn.-based Hartford Distributors when he started shooting “indiscriminately,” according to Hollis. Thornton was the newest hire at the family-owned beer and wine distribution company, and had worked there around two years. Nobody saw it coming. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Aug 2010 10:09

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U.S.: In Louisiana, half a dozen teens drown in underwater sinkhole

  • Unfortunately, I’m afraid, and it’s with a heavy heart, to report that we have pulled so far (six) bodies from the river. … I can honestly say that in my 26 years of service I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude. And I hope I never see it again.
  • Shreveport, La. Fire Chief Brian Crawford • Describing the sinkhole that killed six people last night. (A seventh was rescued.) The 18-foot hole sucked in the teenagers, who largely didn’t know how to swim and had otherwise been in the shallow water. A friend of the families, Marilyn Robinson witnessed the deaths: “None of us could swim. They were yelling ‘help me, help me. Somebody please help me.’ It was nothing I could do but watch them drown one by one.” Harrowing. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Aug 2010 09:50

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U.S.: The FBI thinks Wikipedia has no right to use its logo

  • The reasoningWikipedia puts logos on its various pages, often recreating them in a vector format in cases where the original is a low-resolution sample. Also, most things acquired by the U.S. government, from logos to photos to numerous other assets are designated public domain. Certain insignias, such as the FBI’s, however, are restricted for non-copyright reasons.

    The conflict This particular logo of the FBI led to Wikipedia’s offices getting a letter claiming that “Whoever possesses any insignia …or any colourable imitation thereof..shall be fined … or imprisoned … or both.” Considering that the seal is commonly used in other places, this seems like an odd source to attack. source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 6 Comments • Permalink

02 Aug 2010 20:34

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U.S.: Feds: The oil spill’s final tally is somewhere between a lot and A LOT

  • 5
    million     the number of barrels that U.S. scientists estimates came out of the Gulf Oil Spill
  • 3.3
    million     the number of barrels that reportedly came out of the next biggest oil spill –way back in 1979 source
  • Not perfect, but … While the oil spill certainly isn’t the easiest thing in the world to narrow down, but the federal science and engineering teams on the case claim their number is within ten percent. It’s the difference between huge and HUGE.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Aug 2010 10:50

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U.S.: BP hopes to plug the oil well once and for all by killing it – twice

  • 1st kill BP will conduct a “static kill” by pouring mud and cement into the oil well from above, a process held back by storms.
  • 2nd kill After a relief well is built, BP will confirm the “static kill” by using a “bottom kill” to seal it once and for all. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Aug 2010 10:38

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U.S., World: Obama’s ready to end major combat operations in Iraq

  • He plans to announce it in about a hour. Ready to see one of our wars go away? Well, get ready. Obama plans to announce that he plans to wind down major combat operations in Iraq. Instead, the U.S. will still take an advisory role. It’s not without risk, however – see, Iraq doesn’t have a stable government right now – but he still plans to make the announcement to a bunch of veterans today. He will not, however, declare “Mission Accomplished.” Probably a smart political move on his part, guys. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Aug 2010 11:37

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U.S.: Michigan’s oil spill: Do oil-industry regulators lack teeth?

  • 800k gallons of oil flooded Michigan’s Kalamazoo River this week
  • yes regulators had warned the owner of the leaky pipe to fix it
  • yes the owner of the pipe just ignored the regulator (great job!) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

31 Jul 2010 16:15

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U.S.: Judge Susan Bolton isn’t alone; threats going up in federal courts

  • 1,300 number of threats U.S. Marshals reported in 2009 alone
  • 592 number of threats U.S. Marshals reported six years earlier source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Jul 2010 16:08

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U.S.: Arizona immigration law: Susan Bolton’s getting a lot of death threats

  • She has been inundated. About 99.9 percent of the inappropriate comments are people venting. They are exercising their First Amendment rights, and a lot of it is perverted. But it’s that 0.1 percent that goes over the line that we are taking extra seriously.
  • U.S. Marshal David Gonzales • Noting the torrent of rage that has hit U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton since she struck down major parts of the Arizona immigration law a couple of days ago. Gonzales says that, despite the death threats, she’s holding up OK: “She’s tough as nails. She takes this as all part of her job.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Jul 2010 12:26

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U.S.: “Million Teacher March” rally in Florida oversells itself a little bit

  • 25 people showed up to protest teacher pay source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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