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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

08 Feb 2011 22:11

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Politics: Yikes: Cute babies + anti-violence commercials = Death threats

  • OK, this ad up here, which uses a cute baby (and we mean cuuuuuuute) to promote parenting that prevents violent offenders such as rapists, is anything but subtle, but the reaction to the ad is perhaps a little strong from some. The guy who created it, Josh Jasper of the Riverview Center in Dubuque, Iowa, is getting death threats because the ad was perceived as anti-male. “I appreciate and respect when people have differing viewpoints,” Jasper said. “But for individuals to take it to a personal level and threaten my life, that’s taking it too far.” The melding of visuals and messages in this ad make us a little uncomfortable, but honestly? It’s not really that bad considering what’s out there. And the message is good, even if the execution is a little overwrought. Disagree with someone. Don’t call their house. (thanks think4yourself & azspot) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Feb 2011 08:11

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World: Egyptian protests: Pro-Mubarak, anti-Mubarak protesters clashing

  • 15+ injured in pro-gov’t and
    anti-gov’t clashes today source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Feb 2011 07:59

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World: Pro-Mubarak Egyptians starting to raise some hell with protesters

  • The demonstrations I saw yesterday looked like they were orchestrated. If these people were really pro-Mubarak where on earth have they been the past week? People on the streets were saying these demonstrators were hired by the NDP (ruling party).
  • PR professional Mayan Fawaz • Throwing suspicion at a number of pro-Mubarak supporters (tens of thousands, roughly) that first showed up yesterday not long after the Egyptian president made his speech. The counter-protesters broke through human chains set up by the protesters. They held up signs and chanted things of their own. They got into fistfights with the protesters. People got injured. Are they real? Or is Fawaz right? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Jan 2011 10:33

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World: Lebanon’s not having a very fun day today, guys

After the Hezbollah-backed Najib Mikati won appointment as Prime Minister, all hell broke loose in the country, leading to fiery scenes like this one. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Jan 2011 10:45

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Tech: Facebook deals with blowback from another privacy kerfluffle

  • Over the weekend, we got some useful feedback that we could make people more clearly aware of when they are granting access to this data.
  • Facebook’s Douglas Purdy • On temporarily disabling a feature that would allow Facebook apps to access addresses and phone numbers. Because that’s not creepy or anything. As Purdy’s wording suggests, they won’t be getting rid of it, but merely reworking. “With this change,” he noted, “you could, for example, easily share your address and mobile phone with a shopping site to streamline the checkout process, or sign up for up-to-the-minute alerts on special deals directly to your mobile phone.” Or you could just not do this. The choice is up to you guys, really. Phone numbers and addresses: A step too far? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

29 Dec 2010 10:32

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World: Bad idea: South Korea working on unification plans with the North

  • Let’s say you’re South Korea. North of you is one of the world’s most volatile countries, North Korea, and they’re your sworn enemy. West of you is China, the 900-pound gorilla of Asia. Now, let’s say you’re the president of South Korea, like this guy in the middle here, Lee Myung-bak. How do you handle this situation in such a way as to anger both of them at once? Here’s how – bring up plans to unify the two Koreas. Could you guys at least wait until Kim Jong-il is dead and his frumpy kid who skated into the job is the leader? You know they have the bomb, right? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Dec 2010 11:01

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U.S.: San Francisco airport: That pilot’s video? That was a lunchroom

  • The video shows a door with a card swipe and suggests that access is gained to the airfield area through this door. In fact, the door shown in the video provides access only to an employee lunchroom.
  • A statement from SFO’s airport • Suggesting that the anonymous pilot who taped some videos showing the airport’s lack of security was being dishonest. The airport defends its security, saying it’s “an innovator and a trendsetter in aviation security.” So, wait … question. Why would a lunch room need security? And why, rather than simply releasing a statement, doesn’t the airport shoot video proving this? Because they could be lying, too. Some people are “truthers,” others are “birthers,” but we’re “lunchers.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Dec 2010 22:06

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Politics: Haley Barbour backtracks on controversial segregation statements

  • Nobody should construe that to mean I think the town leadership were saints, either. Their vehicle, called the ‘Citizens’ Council,’ is totally indefensible, as is segregation.
  • Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour • Making the inevitable backtrack after his controversial statements that suggested he didn’t think racism in the South wasn’t that big a deal. And not a moment too soon. This guy wants to possibly run for president in 2012. After that interview, have fun with that, buddy. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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