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

11 Dec 2011 20:32

tags

World: Russia’s Medvedev promises investigation on Facebook, gets heckled

  • I do not agree with any slogans or statements made at the rallies. Nevertheless, instructions have been given by me to check all information from polling stations regarding compliance with the legislation on elections.
  • Russian President Dmitry Medvedev • Ordering an investigation into last week’s parliamentary elections in a Facebook post, one day after wide protests increased the pressure on the Russian government to do something about the issue at hand. Medvedev’s comments led to many negative and downright ugly responses on Facebook, many of them expressing disbelief at his words. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2011 12:17

tags

World: Scotland Yard: News of the World scandal much wider than thought

  • 803 victims in News of the World phone-hacking scandal? source
  • » That’s what Scotland Yard says: They’ve investigated over 2,000 cases at length, and think they’ve found hundreds of examples of the same hacking that befell the newspaper earlier this year. “Operation Weeting has been in contact with or been contacted by 2,037 people,” Scotland Yard says, “of which in the region of 803 are ‘victims’, whose names have appeared in the material.” More people are likely to get investigated, but as their personal information is limited, it’s believed they were less likely to be hacked by the newspaper.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2011 11:39

tags

Politics: The composer mimiced in Rick Perry’s anti-gay ad? “An outspoken gay Jew.”

  • If the ad itself isn’t a big enough gaffe… The background music in the ad has ties to noted composer Aaron Copland, an important 20th-century composer whose “Appalachian Spring” inspired the music that gives Perry’s much-disliked campaign ad its swelling style. (To be clear: That is different from being by Copland; the composer of Perry’s music was lifting the style, not copying Copland verbatim.) Copland represents a number of things Perry speaks against in the ad — particularly, he was gay, Jewish and long-suspected of having Communist leanings, to the point where he once had to testify in front of Congress that he wasn’t a Communist. Not the best idea, Rick. But neither was the ad. (thanks marcushere; photo via Library of Congress) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2011 11:03

tags

Biz: Amazon’s controversial price-check app draws Senator’s ire

  • Amazon’s promotion — paying consumers to visit small businesses and leave empty-handed — is an attack on Main Street businesses that employ workers in our communities. Small businesses are fighting everyday to compete with giant retailers, such as Amazon, and incentivizing consumers to spy on local shops is a bridge too far.
  • Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) • Openly criticizing Amazon’s new price-check app, which allows users to go in stores, scan the barcodes and see if Amazon has lower prices than said shops do — for a discounted price at Amazon. With the location feature turned on, consumers effectively can let Amazon know what their brick-and-mortar competitors are selling something for. What do you all think? Clever or sketchy? Does it empower the consumer or hurt small businesses? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2011 10:30

tags

U.S.: More details on Virginia Tech gunman Ross Truett Ashley

  • He visited a shooting range this year, but was often out of bullets. That’s according to Matt Dailey, who calls himself a close friend of the gunman, who reportedly shot himself to death in the aftermath of the killing of police officer Deriek Crouse on the Virginia Tech campus Thursday. “He didn’t keep (the gun) locked away, but all summer I don’t think he had any bullets for the gun,” Dailey said. “He didn’t buy bullets that often because bullets are expensive.” Dailey also claims that Ashley was a little off, but no more than anyone else, and that no red flags showed up before the incident, which also involved auto theft. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2011 10:10

tags

World: After 20 years, Manuel Noreiga heading back to Panama

The Panamanian dictator has spent decades in jail in the U.S. and France since a U.S.-led invasion in his country in 1989. He’s going home to serve more time in jail for murders allegedly committed during his rule. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2011 09:57

tags

World: Surprise: State-owned Russian TV covers protests straightforwardly

  • They showed me on Channel 1 and said I was an opposition leader, which is already a breakthrough. They’re already calling me from Washington and asking what’s going on.
  • Former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Y. Nemtsov • Discussing how, in a fairly abrupt about-face on Saturday, Russian television started straightforwardly covering the protests against the recent Russian parliamentary elections — including showing Nemtsov (who has since become a major opposition figure and a noted critic of Vladimir Putin) in a relatively neutral light, something which hasn’t happened in roughly a decade. Here’s how one TV anchor, Rossia 1’s Andrei Medvedev, put the events: “Today’s protest was a lesson for everyone. It turns out that, to express your dissatisfaction with the authorities, it is possible to gather on a square after getting permission from those same authorities. And to keep order, all you really have to do is give a polite admonition.” Is it possible that the protests were hard for state-funded Russian television to avoid, since they were so heavily covered on the Internet? A fascinating twist. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Dec 2011 10:26

tags

World: Russian parliamentary election protests continue despite pressure

  • 15,000 protesters showed up in Moscow source
  • » Russian opposition protests come out in numbers: Roughly a week after the Russian elections proved to have questionable results, people are still showing their frustrations with Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party with protests. “People are just tired, they have already crossed all the boundaries,” noted one protester, Yana Larionova. “You see all these people who are well dressed and earn a good salary, going out onto the streets on Saturday and saying, ‘No more.’ That’s when you know you need a change.” Protesters came out in such strong numbers that authorities were worried that the footbridge under them would collapse. Meanwhile, the Russian government continues to discourage the protests — including painting the protesters as similar to those in Libya and blaming the United States for the protests.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Dec 2011 10:11

tags

Politics: Could Herman Cain’s next stop be Fox News commentator?

  • What might be next for Herman Cain? Because I have no doubt that there is a TV-radio future if you wanted one.
  • Sean Hannity • Discussing what Herman Cain should do next, now that he’s suspended his presidential campaign. Hannity had Cain on his show Thursday night, his first TV appearance since he suspended his campaign amidst allegations of a long-term sexual affair about a week ago. He has since endorsed Newt Gingrich. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Dec 2011 09:53

tags

World: Three women — two Liberian, one Yemeni — accept Nobel Peace Prize

  • Three examples of strong female peace-fighters: On Saturday in Oslo, the three winners of this year’s Nobel Peace Price — from left, Yemeni Tawakkol Karman, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee and Liberian president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf — accepted their honors. The three women were chosen together as a reflection of women’s rights at large. Karman’s case is particularly of note — at 32 she is not only the youngest winner of an award, but also the first Arab woman, one reflective of this year’s Arab Spring movement. Gbowee, meanwhile, led an anti-rape campaign in her country; and Johnson-Sirleaf went a long way in easing tensions by leading the country past a long civil war. Congrats to all three. (Photo via AP) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>