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

21 Apr 2010 21:05

tags

U.S.: New $100 dollar bill: What the #(*# is this stupid #(&@?

  • Dear U.S. treasury: Maybe you should consider switching to debit cards for large denominations like these. Because, uh, this 3D crap is just getting really stupid and over the top. We’re also convinced Ben Franklin would find this treatment pretty demeaning, too. This isn’t money. This is an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, in legal tender form. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

21 Apr 2010 11:19

tags

U.S.: Scores missing after a massive oil-rig blast in the Gulf of Mexico

  • 126 people were on the rig when the explosion struck last night
  • 11+ people are missing after the massive blast in the Gulf of Mexico
  • 7+ were injured in the accident, off the Louisiana coast source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Apr 2010 11:01

tags

U.S.: North Dakota has lots of jobs. But why is homelessness up?

  • 19% increase in homelessness from 2008 to 2009 source
  • » But why? The reason might surprise you – as will the deceptiveness of the number above. In 2008, 832 people were homeless. In 2009, 987 were. That’s a far cry from your average major city. The state has 4 percent unemployment, so there are plenty of jobs. But there aren’t enough homes for people to live in, causing some to make do, for example, in cars parked in Wal-Mart parking lots. There are waiting lists for homes in the state. How crazy is that?
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Apr 2010 10:09

tags

U.S.: Also (sadly) dead: 98-year-old civil rights trailblazer Dorothy Height

The former chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women was one of the few women in a civil rights leadership position. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Apr 2010 10:31

tags

U.S.: Sobering number: People’s trust of the government way down

  • 22% of Americans actually trust the government source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2010 10:11

tags

U.S.: Fun fact: Obama had NASA frantically removing scenery (for naught)

  • monday The Orion space capsule was not to be a part of Obama’s Thursday speech (which upset many). So NASA was trying to remove all signs of Orion from the building.
  • thursday Obama gave a speech in front of a backdrop that included the Orion capsule – after the administration did an about-face on the program (which surprised many). source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2010 21:13

tags

U.S.: Secret memo: The U.S. doesn’t know what the #(&$ to do about Iran

  • This is according to a note sent by man, myth and legend Robert Gates. While the U.S. has a solid short-term strategy for the country (including sanctions), a memo from Gates in January hints that they might be a little lost as to what to do if those measures don’t work. The note set off a tizzy, according to sources hiding behind the shoulders of anonymity. Why? There’s a significant fear that Iran will bump up against the Nuclear Non-Prolifieration Treaty, getting all the elements of a nuclear weapon without actually building one. (Hint: That’d be really bad.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

17 Apr 2010 16:45

tags

U.S.: Fans of racially-tinged violence, keep an eye on L.A. today

See this guy in the middle? Reportedly a white supremacist. They were holding a rally in L.A. today, but counter-protesters got to him first. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Apr 2010 17:51

tags

U.S.: Eric Massa’s chief of staff got a pretty nice parachute fund

  • $40,000 check just as Massa quit source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Apr 2010 17:32

tags

U.S.: “A little soap opera”: Thousands of images in school spying case

  • Apparently, they were using the webcam-equipped laptops for constant surveillance. The Lower Merion, Pa. School District, currently facing a class-action lawsuit for its role in a webcam surveillance scheme, reportedly took photos of plaintiff Blake Robbins while he was sleeping, chatting, and so on – as many as 400 images of Blake alone over a two-week period. (Just imagine how that worked for all the other kids with school-issued laptops.) Administrators reportedly loved the service, which has now been disabled, and Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter has introduced legislation to block usage of surveillance software for this purpose (smart idea, dude). source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>