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29 Nov 2011 21:38

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U.S.: Bradley Manning’s attorney: Wikileaks release didn’t hurt anybody

  • An interesting defense strategy: The lawyers for the long-held-in-detention Bradley Manning, the former soldier who allegedly gathered and the diplomatic cables that Wikileaks eventually released, are apparently angling for the “these cables didn’t actually cause any problems” angle, noting in a court documents released Monday that the White House and the Defense Department reviewed the cables and found nothing damaging, due to the fact that the data was outdated, already publicly-released or represented low-level information. Manning’s first hearing — finally — is December 16. (thanks Michael Cote) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Nov 2011 00:04

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U.S.: Cyber Monday’s version of Black Friday drama: Counterfeit stuff

  • 150 counterfeit websites taken down on Cyber Monday source
  • » Don’t mess with our passion for shopping. After such a turnout for Black Friday, shoppers were ready for online deals on Monday. So were websites touting fake merchandise — from sports jerseys to DVDs to accessories. This was a part of the investigation called “Operation In Our Sites,” which has seized 350 such counterfeit sites since 2010.
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Nov 2011 10:51

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U.S.: Guy watches child porn on plane, story ends as you’d expect

  • cause A University of Utah professor took a ride on a plane over the weekend; during said flight, he watched child porn on his laptop, in view of other passengers. Sickening. And a bad idea, because said passengers told officials about it.
  • reaction Now, Grant D. Smith is stuck in a Massachusetts jail after he was arrested after the plane landed. The school placed Smith on administrative leave. And many are confused as to why someone would do something like this. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Nov 2011 11:28

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U.S.: Will convicted RFK shooter Sirhan Sirhan get another day in court?

  • His lawyers say there’s evidence of a second gunman. There are conspiracy theories around the other Kennedy shooting, too, and the man who went to jail for that one could get a second chance to defend himself thanks to fresh evidence discovered by his defense lawyers. “The state suppressed, destroyed and withheld a great deal of evidence,” claims lawyer William F. Pepper, who personally knew Robert F. Kennedy in the 1960s. He worked with fellow lawyer Laurie D. Dusek on the case. Their take? A second gunman put Sirhan Sirhan up for the fall, believing he would be more likely to get convicted due to the fact he was Arab, and the second man used hypno-programming to keep Sirhan in check, essentially making him an unwilling participant in the assassination. Furthermore, they say that the convicted shooter’s gun never actually hit Kennedy. Sirhan’s attorneys say in court papers claim the state “refuses to acknowledge that hypno programming/mind control is not fiction but reality and has been used for years by the U.S. military, Central Intelligence Agency and other covert organizations.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Nov 2011 19:10

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U.S.: Phony Craigslist jobs ad proves deadly for unsuspecting victims

  • offer An ad looking for farmhands around northeast Ohio drew intrest from a handful of people. One described the ad as a “good offer but strange.”
  • problem The area listed in the sketchy ad did not actually have a farm; instead, the property is owned by a coal-mining company that often rents it out to hunters. Hmm …
  • reality Whoever put up the ad tried to rob and kill the unsuspecting victims. At least two people were found dead; another got away. Two suspects are in custody. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Nov 2011 20:19

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U.S.: National Day of Listening: An anecdote from SFB’s Chris Tognotti

  • While I’ve had many teachers with whom I’ve felt close, and many who helped my academic instincts thrive, none had the impact on my true life’s experience that Carla Zilbersmith did. A theater director and improv teacher at my community college, as well as an evocative vocalist, Carla helped me better understand not only who I am, but urged me to push against the boundaries of my own comforts and fears. In fact, she made me promise her I would. Carla died on May 17th, 2010, after being diagnosed with ALS two years prior — she was 47 years old. I miss her dearly. I still can’t hold back the tears when one of her songs play on my iPod, and I’m skeptical as to whether that will ever change. I loved her, and for the dedication she had to improving my life and those lives around her, I will never forget. (Just a reminder to all: We’re taking your submissions too. Read more here.)
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Nov 2011 11:38

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Biz, U.S.: Off the table (for now): The AT&T merger with T-Mobile

  • what After a long back-and-forth with the government over the implications of the merger, AT&T said Thursday (that’s right, on Thanksgiving!) that they would not pursue FCC approval of a merger with T-Mobile.
  • why It looked very unlikely to get through regulators’ clutches. The merger would have effectively marginalized Sprint in the market, leading the FCC to call a hearing on the merger, and the DOJ to file an antitrust suit.
  • however Both AT&T and T-Mobile have much to lose from the stunted deal — AT&T in penalty fees (reaching into the billions) and lost infrastructure, T-Mobile in declining business. They will probably try again soon. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

25 Nov 2011 08:14

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U.S.: WTF: Competitive shopper at Wal-Mart pepper sprays rivals

  • I heard screaming and I heard yelling. Moments later, my throat stung. I was coughing really bad and watering up.
  • Porter Ranch, Los Angeles, California Wal-Mart customer Matthew Lopez • Describing what happened after another customer, who authorities say was “competitive shopping,” pepper sprayed 20 people (including children!) in an attempt to beat everyone else at getting stuff. Considering, you know, this incident and this incident, the usage of pepper spray seems incredibly ironic. Authorities are looking for the person who sprayed her fellow shoppers in efforts to buy a new Xbox 360 or something similar. Humanity sucks sometimes. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Nov 2011 12:02

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U.S.: Arizona plane crash: Mother notified after her three children killed

  • They were spending Thanksgiving with their father. Last night’s deadly plane crash in Superstition Mountains, a rugged patch of mountains east of Phoenix, was especially sad because of the time of year. Six people died, including three children and three adult men. The mother of the children, who was not on the plane, was notified by authorities late Wednesday. “The mother is a pilot herself,” noted Elias Johnson of the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department. “She understands when a plane crashes at 230 miles an hour … directly into the face of the mountain … and when it’s a fiery crash,” the odds of survival are low. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Nov 2011 22:29

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U.S.: Plane crashes into mountains east of Phoenix; details coming in

  • The crash happened on rough terrain, making rescue tough. A plane crash in the Superstition Mountains, east of Phoenix, appears to have left a large explosion, based on the webcam video above (key moment 53 seconds in). Details are hard to come by right now. “We don’t know yet if it’s a passenger plane or a crop duster,” said Angelique Graham, the Pinal County (Ariz.) sheriff’s spokeswoman. “We can’t tell the size of the aircraft involved from the air and we can’t tell how many people may have been aboard.”  Details are coming in as we speak. (Edit: Just got an update; the plane had three adults and three children on board.)  source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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