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28 Apr 2009 21:10

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U.S.: Swine flu gets headlines, but regular flu kills more people

  • 150 people have died of swine flu since the outbreak began this week source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Apr 2009 20:52

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Politics, U.S.: Five reasons that NYC Air Force One blunder was so stupid

  • Federal, state and local authorities knew of the “flying photo op” but didn’t tell the public it was happening. WTF guys? source
  • It was classified – so much so that NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg didn’t know about it. Yeah, that’s genius. source
  • It happened in the middle of the morning, when everyone was at work in skyscrapers. PANIC! Evacuate!! AHHHH! source
  • It’s a plane. Flying low. In New York City. In a part of the city where two planes famously hit two buildings. *forehead slap* source
  • It’s an example of how vanity can get in the way of public safety, and it’s safe to say that officials shouldn’t forget that. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

28 Apr 2009 12:30

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Politics, U.S.: See ya, GOP: Why Arlen Specter is now a Democrat

  • It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable.
  • Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Spector • On why he’s switching parties. He claims that he always voted based on the issue, not the party line, but the Republicans aren’t happy with him in his state. His switching brings the Democrats closer to a two-thirds majority in the Senate. Less filibusters = more pushing stuff through. Liberals must be getting excited. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Apr 2009 12:12

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U.S., World: The spread of the swine flu outbreak, shown visually

Red= Death. Blue = Cases. Light blue = Suspected. Yellow = Precautions. Together, they equal PANIC! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Apr 2009 11:59

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Culture, U.S.: &!*#*^% Supreme Court has to ruin everything, dammit

  • Cher said a bad word in 2002. Nicole Ritchie said one in 2003. source
  • The FCC sued Fox for allowing said bad word to get on air. source
  • An appeals court turned down the decision against Fox. source
  • The Supreme Court sided with the FCC. !&%* them. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Apr 2009 10:43

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Politics, U.S.: The media’s love affair with Michelle Obama continues

  • This is someone who appeals across the usual divides. She is a celebrity you can imagine being, not a celebrity you have to watch from afar.
  • Susan M. Reverby • Professor of women’s studies at Wellesley College in Mass., discussing exactly why Michelle Obama is so great. Perhaps it’s over the top, but, well, at least she isn’t talking about how amazing her arms are. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Apr 2009 08:45

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U.S., World: The swine flu death toll has risen significantly

  • 152 deaths have been reported, all of them in Mexico source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

28 Apr 2009 08:38

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Culture, U.S.: Fox officially thinks Tim Roth is more important than Obama

  • For Obama’s address tomorrow night, Fox has waved its middle finger in the air and decided to ignore the address, choosing instead to go with the Tim Roth drama “Lie to Me.” Some will say Rupert Murdoch has political reasons for this, but we think he’s just a prick. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Apr 2009 21:06

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U.S.: White House: Whoops, our bad on that low-flying jet thing

  • Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it’s clear that the mission created confusion and disruption.
  • Louis Caldera • Director of the White House Military Office, on allowing a plane to fly close to the ground for a photo op that freaked out tons of people in downtown NYC, which was understandably jumpy, you know, with that whole 9/11 thing. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Apr 2009 20:55

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U.S., World: Ever hear the phrase “manure lagoons”? It’s the root of swine flu.

  • Residents long complained about the smell. The root of the current swine flu outbreak has its roots in Veracruz state, Mexico, where a 4-year-old boy got sick from what was later found to be swine flu. The boy lived near a massive pig farm with a large pool of manure nearby. Sound like a lot of fun? It’s not. The important part to take from this: The farm is partly owned by a U.S.-based company, Smithfield Foods, who will almost assuredly face scrutiny for starting the outbreak. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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