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07 Apr 2011 10:01

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U.S.: NYC juror’s racist, anti-cop attitude backfires on her

  • cause A woman who apparently really didn’t want to do jury duty told the court that she thought cops were lazy, and also said racist things about blacks and Latinos. Whew.
  • reaction The judge in the death penalty trial of alleged mob boss Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano, forced her to come to court every day  indefinitely in retaliation.
  • relent After a day, though, the judge had a change of heart and let her go — but not before forcing her to sit in a room by herself and think about what she did. Timeout! source
  • » Worst questionnaire answer, ever: The woman, reportedly Asian and in her mid-20s, was asked on a questionnaire about the three types of people she least admires. She wrote in her response, “African-Americans, Hispanics and Haitians.” Look, nobody likes jury duty, but you don’t have to be an evil human being in the process of getting out of it.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Mar 2011 16:40

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Politics: Obama sure looks like he’s not really handling this Libya thing

  • I’m not going to give you a time or a day.
  • White House Press Secretary Jay Carney • Reminding us why we miss Robert Gibbs so much. Carney, offering a pretty weak answer on when Obama would directly address Libya, made the administration look the fool with an answer like this. While Carney said Obama would have an address on this issue in the “very near future,” details were lacking. It’s starting to look like Obama is not top-of-mind on this issue. This is bad. Gibbs would’ve been more direct than this. Obama looks like he’s got terrible PR. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Mar 2011 11:25

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Culture: Oh, Paris Hilton: This might perhaps be a tad racist, guys

  • We were making out, but then we went somewhere where it was bright and I saw that he was black and made an excuse and left. I can’t stand black guys. I would never touch one. It’s gross (pauses). Does that guy look black to you?
  • Paris Hilton • Quoted in celebrity interviewer and creepy guy Neil Strauss’ new book “Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead.” Granted, it was from an interview she did in 1999, when she was 18 (she was talking about an unnamed actor from “Saving Private Ryan”), so let’s not be too hard on her. (Others have disagreed with this point.) But that said … Hilton followed up by saying this in response to the question “How black does a guy have to be?” “One percent is enough for me.” We’ll just leave this here. Whew. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Mar 2011 23:34

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U.S.: Elementary student brings a little coke to show and tell. Oops.

  • It is unusual to have elementary school students using cocaine. However, it’s not that unusual for young students to try substances.
  • National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse spokesperson Susan E. Foster • Discussing the wonderful incident in DC’s public school system today. See, some elementary student brought cocaine with him to class to share with his classmates. They tried it and got so sick that they had to be hospitalized. Meanwhile, DC’s unshakable reputation of having the worst school system in the country continues unabated. WHERE ARE YOU MICHELLE RHEE? *single tear* source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Mar 2011 01:46

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Offbeat: “Heart Attack Grill” ironically loses spokesperson to “mild death”

  • Protip to all greasy burger joints: If you want to promote your product, you probably shouldn’t use an incredibly fat guy to satirically promote a “diet” designed around gluttonous pursuits, and then suggest that said diet might lead to “mild death.” Which is why we’re writing about our boy Blair River right now. Yes, he died. It was sad. He was only 29. While it’s rumored it was because of flu/pneumonia symptoms, everyone is going to think his weight – 575 pounds on a 6-foot-8 frame – had something to do with it, even if it didn’t. Which, as an end effect, may lead the Heart Attack Grill to lose a few customers. To put it lightly. (thanks nhaler) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Feb 2011 09:44

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World: U.S. takes on Somali pirates, loses hostages in process

  • As (U.S. forces) responded to the gunfire, reaching and boarding the Quest, the forces discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors. Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds.
  • A statement from U.S. Central Command • Revealing that, during a U.S. Navy rescue effort to save the four Americans on the yacht Quest, the Somali pirates on board killed the Americans. After getting on the ship, the soldiers engaged in a battle with U.S. forces, with two pirates died and 13 others were captured. The remains of two others were found on board. An awful end to a scary story. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Feb 2011 16:54

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World: Somali pirates have more than enough hostages to fill a Starbucks

  • 30 ships are currently being held by Somali pirates
  • 660 people are being held for ransom as we type
  • four U.S. citizens were captured on Friday source
  • » The latest incident: The people currently being held for hostage in the waters around Somalia were on a yacht called Quest, and included a couple known for traveling the world via yacht and handing out bibles to anyone who would take them on their journeys. If Americans get involved with this, they could damage the Somali’s business model of pilfering money from shipping and insurance companies. Because the U.S. won’t put up with this crap.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

15 Feb 2011 10:13

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World: Berlusconi’s facing trial in wild underage prostitution case

  • YES Berlusconi’s trial starts in April; get yo cameras ready!
  • yes The girl Berlusconi reportedly had paid for sex was over the age of consent in Italy, which is a fairly-young 14.
  • yes Prostitution in Italy is also pretty much legal, meaning that Berlusconi likely broke no laws for simply paying for sex.
  • no Paying for sex with someone under 18 isn’t legal. Ruby Heart-Stealer wasn’t 18 before the incident. Oops. source
  • » And there’s an Egypt tie to this story, too: Perhaps the most bizarre spare detail of the entire incident might be the reason why Berlusconi was caught this time. See, Ruby Heart-Stealer, a Moroccan whose real name is Karima El Mahroug, was arrested last May for theft, and he called the Police to intervene – because, get this, he believed she was Hosni Mubarak’s niece. Random. Berlusconi and Heart-Stealer both deny they had sex, though there must have been an interesting story about how they met, then. Right?
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Feb 2011 12:05

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World: 200 cities + a tawdry sex scandal = A huge anti-Berlusconi protest

Hundreds of thousands of women took part in today’s protests. This is why, if you’re the leader of Italy, you don’t get associated with scandals involving underage prostitutes. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Feb 2011 11:33

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Politics: U2’s Bono steps into South African “Shoot the Boer” controversy

  • When I was a kid and I’d sing songs I remember my uncles singing… rebel songs about the early days of the Irish Republican Army. … We sang this and it’s fair to say it’s folk music.
  • U2’s Bono • Defending his support of a South African protest song called “Shoot the Boer,” seen as an attack on white people in South African (“boer” is considered a slur), by noting that the Irish Republican Army had violent protest songs, too! (He sang a couple bars of a violence-promoting Irish “folk song” while talking.) The song is the center of major controversy, with the leader of South Africa’s Youth League, Julius Malema, in a legal fight over whether the song is hate speech or not. Based on the criticism the human-rights figurehead has gotten, it may just be. if it weren’t for the Spider-Man musical, this would be the dumbest thing he’s done lately. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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