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04 Mar 2010 20:05

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U.S.: Students protest California’s frustrating university budget cuts

  • My heart and my support are with everybody and anybody who wants to stand up for public education. I salute those who are making themselves heard today in a peaceful manner on behalf of a great cause.
  • University of California President Mark Yudof • Regarding the major protests being staged at his and other universities across California and in 17 other states. The protests are in the wake of massive budget cuts to the state’s educational institutions, which have the effect of lowering the quality of education and raising the cost of tuition. For his part, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says the cuts are terrible, but necessary, due to the state’s $20 billion budget deficit. Rock, meet hard place. In between? An education system. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2010 11:20

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Culture: Epic Beard Man somehow a viral video God two weeks later

  • Despite the fact that Thomas Bruso hit that Michael guy nearly two weeks ago, he still has currency on the internet, thanks to a new YouTube documentary on the guy. The first part is above; the second is here. He’s a pretty crazy dude.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Feb 2010 21:52

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Offbeat: The other side of the Epic Beard Man bus-fighting story

  • Let not the Epic Beard Man get all the praise for this video. This video of two dudes getting into a huge fight on an Oakland, Calf. bus shot through the internet like a pair of brass knuckles over the weekend. Here’s the other side of the argument, told by comparing each side to the video itself. Michael’s nose appears to be healing nicely. Key point of the clip: Michael knew the racist overtones of what Thomas Bruso said. Also, he’s 50 – he looks way younger. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

22 Feb 2010 08:44

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Politics: Arnold Schwarzenegger trashes on his own party’s antics

  • I don’t want to beat up on my Republican colleagues, but I think it’s kind of politics rather than thinking about only one thing, and this is, how do we support the president? How do we support him and do everything we can in order to stimulate the economy?
  • California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger • Discussing the stimulus plan and Republicans’ reaction to it. The comments, which he made on “This Week” yesterday, also agreed with Obama on GOP members’ handling of the stimulus plan. “I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying this doesn’t create any new jobs,” he notes, while noting they’re the ones handing out the checks. “It doesn’t match up.” He says they should support the president. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Feb 2010 16:25

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Offbeat: A new kind of folk hero: Watch “Epic Beard Man” do his thang

  • (* note: graphic video *) It’s perhaps a great commentary on our society that a video of an old dude beating up another dude can become a phenomenon of the first order. But this clip isn’t even the first for Thomas Brusso, who was also involved in a tasering incident at an Oakland A’s game last Summer. Spike TV also has an interview with the dude. If nothing else, the beard lives up to the legend.  source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Feb 2010 20:20

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U.S.: Mudslides: The left coast has its own weather-related problems

  • 2 California homes destroyed by a crapload of mud or something source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Feb 2010 20:43

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Politics: Is Demon Sheep Carly Fiorina’s political suicide? Maybe not

  • Insane concept. Insane execution. But somehow, we’re convinced at the end of the day it worked. Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, running for the California Senate, has an unintentionally awesome hit on her hands in the form of “Demon Sheep,” which is a much more interesting tagline than “Fiscal Conservative In Name Only” (or FCINO), the one they came up with. Here’s why we think, somehow, it works:
  • A new approach The dadaist attempt at smear campaigning, probably inspired by Adult Swim, has never been tried before. It’s been hinted at (see Kinky Friedman’s ads for Texas governor), but it hasn’t been taken quite to this degree. And we think they knew how absurd this ad was when they put it out. Don’t think they didn’t. That’s why it’s viral.
  • A clear message The techniques used in this ad are extremely blunt. The repeated imagery of the sheep, the printed money, the pigs, the sheep, the pigs, the Ken Burns effect, the signs, it rams the images into your head. Even the haters can admit that Fiorina got her point across in this insane ad in a way where you must watch.
  • A memorable mascot Ultimately, though, the reason why this ad works is because of Demon Sheep. Why? See Leahy’s Law (related to Murphy’s Law): “If a thing is done wrong often enough, it becomes right.” There’s no reason why Demon Sheep should work. But it’s brow-beaten to the point where you can’t turn away. She can make this work. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink
 

02 Feb 2010 09:59

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U.S.: In California’s governor race, the spending’s already HUUUGE

  • $39M the amount former eBay CEO Meg Whitman has spent out of her own personal fortune, which is just insane, BTW
  • $19M the amount her Republican primary competitor, Steve Poizner, has spent out of his personal fortune
  • $370k the amount presumptive Democratic candidate Jerry Brown – who hasn’t declared – has spent so far source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Jan 2010 20:46

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U.S.: Ca. pot legalization pushers get off the couch, get petitions signed

  • 433,971 number of valid signatures supporters of marijuana legalization need to get it on the 2010 ballot
  • 700,000 number of signatures they just dropped off today in California; mind the cloud of Cheeto dust source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Jan 2010 20:53

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U.S.: L.A. on medical marijuana: OK, we get the freaking point

“These are out of control,” said Councilman Ed Reyes, who wrote legislation to scale pot places back. “Our city has more of these than Starbuckses.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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