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03 Mar 2012 15:20

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World: Protests, arson lead to sacking of Azerbaijan governor

Governor's Mansion in Quba, Azerbaijan set ablaze

  • One day of protests, and an act of arson, were all it took to take down an unpopular Azerbaijan governor. What began with an appointed governor’s taunts of his own people, ended with the same governor’s resignation according to the Azerbaijan government. In a statement released on Friday, President Ilham Aliyev’s office confirmed that Quban Governor Rauf Gabibov had been removed from his post, after civil unrest on Thursday ended with Gabibov’s mansion in flames and protesters clashing with police. (photo via CNN iReport) source
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03 Mar 2012 13:30

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World: Sarkozy says he’s not fit to lead European Commission or Council

  • I don’t think I have the qualities to be a good European Commission or European Council President.
  • French President Nicolas Sarkozy • Responding to a reporter’s question about his political future at an EU summit in Brussels, Belgium. The French president’s future came into question because, with elections next month and polls showing him in second, it’s possible this could be his last appearance at an EU summit. Sarkozy also voiced his support for recently re-elected European Council president Herman Van Rompuy, saying “I am sure I would do it less well than him.” source
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03 Mar 2012 12:53

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U.S.: Tornado outbreak tears across the Midwest and South

  • Tornado outbreak leaves towns leveled, at least 33 dead. A series of tornadoes left 16 dead in Kentucky, 14 dead in Indiana,  2 in Ohio, and 1 Alabama. Officials have warned that additional fatalities could be reported, and early reports suggest that the Indiana town of Marysville has been almost completely destroyed. In an interview with CNN, Governor Mitch Daniels said, “we’re not unfamiliar with Mother Nature’s wrath out here in Indiana, but this is about as serious as we’ve seen in the years since I’ve been in this job.” (photo by C.E. Branham/The News and Tribune via Associated Press) source
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03 Mar 2012 11:15

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U.S.: BP reaches massive settlement with Gulf of Mexico investors

  • $7.8B will be paid by BP to thousands affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that occurred in April 2010; the settlement doesn’t bring an end to the oil company’s legal troubles
  • $2.3B of the total settlement will go to the Gulf seafood industry alone; the company also faces separate spill-related legal actions from the governments of Louisiana and Alabama
  • $17B in additional fines could come as the result of a settlement with the US government over civilian fines resulting from the wide-reaching spill, if BP is found guilty of gross negligence source
  • » But are the fines enough to teach BP a lesson? Some say no, including shrimp producer Dean Blanchard, who told The Guardian, “I want my day in court. If they can get off with just paying the money — well, they’ve got plenty of money, they are not really going to learn a lesson.” In addition to the settlement, BP announced that it would use the remainder of the $20 billion compensation fund it raised during the summer of 2010 to settle additional complaints from residents and businesses in the region. In a statement released late Friday night, BP chief executive Bob Dudley said, “the proposed settlement represents significant progress toward resolving issues from the Deepwater Horizon accident and contributing further to economic and environmental restoration efforts along the Gulf Coast.”
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03 Mar 2012 10:20

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Politics: Sandra Fluke ‘outraged’ by Rush’s attempts to silence her

  • I’m certainly not going to be silenced.
  • Georgetown student Sandra Fluke • Responding to the controversy that began Wednesday, when conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh began a series of attacks on her character and asked that she upload videos of her sexual encounters for his viewing pleasure. Fluke became the target of Limbaugh’s rage after testifying before Congress on Georgetown’s contraceptive policy; however, Limbaugh’s comments cost him four sponsors, and condemnation from pundits across the country. Friday afternoon, President Obama called Sandra to offer words of encouragement and support, and Georgetown president John J. DeGioia defended the student in a statement calling Limbaugh’s attacks “misogynistic” and “vitriolic”.  source
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25 Feb 2012 19:54

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Culture: Steve Kordek, father of modern pinball, passes away at 100

Pinball Machine

  • He brought the flippers and the tilt: Kordek, who died last Sunday, revolutionized what were then called “pin games”, in which a user would drop a ball into a maze of pins, by creating the tilted game-board and dual-flipper system we’re all familiar with today. (Which, by the way, is a totally underrated form of entertainment.) When asked about his invention by the Chicago Tribune, in 2009, Kordek replied, “I was taught to be very conservative to hold down costs. There was no way I was going to put six flippers on a game when I could get away with two.” Kordek retired in 1999, and lost his wife in 2003. He’s survived by two sons, two daughters, two brothers, a sister, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. (image courtesy of flickr user jlstern)  source
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25 Feb 2012 12:32

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World: Afghanistan protests: NATO recalls personnel at Kabul-based ministries

Police March Towards Protesters In Kabul

  • After five days of intense protesting across Afghanistan, NATO has recalled all personnel working in its Kabul ministries. The move comes on the heels of reports that two U.S. officials — allegedly one colonel and one major — were shot and killed at the Afghan Interior Ministry building this morning. A NATO spokeswoman would not confirm the rankings of the two servicemen, but did confirm that they were killed by someone who turned a weapon on them. She declined to comment when asked if the killer was a member of the Afghan military or police force. In an emailed statement to the press, the Afghan Taliban claimed credit for the killings, saying they were in retaliation for the burning of Korans at Bagram Air Base earlier this week. (image courtesy of Reuters/Ahmad Masood) source
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25 Feb 2012 11:13

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U.S.: Vermont same-sex couple vows to fight DOMA, deportation

  • How can our country, with a President who knows discrimination in his core, how can they continue to uphold DOMA?
  • Vermont resident Frances Herbert • Discussing the issues her wife, Takaka Ueda, is facing. Herbert is legally married to Ueda — a native of Japan and her partner of 13 years — and in shock, after the Department of Homeland Security sent a letter denying Ueda’s request to stay in the country. Ueda moved to the US from Japan in 1999, but is now living in the country illegally and faces deportation. Vermont’s congressional delegation has even stepped in, submitting a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, asking them to reconsider. Now the couple plans to fight the ruling, and the Defense of Marriage Act in general, in hopes of preventing this from happening to anyone else. Think they’ll succeed? source
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22 Feb 2012 22:45

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Tech: Open-source fans, here you go: Ubuntu for Android ahoy!

  • After months of rumors, Canonical has unveiled Ubuntu for Android, a version of the ultra-popular Ubuntu Linux kernel that boots from Android mobile devices. We’ll let the video do the rest of the talking. source
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22 Feb 2012 21:16

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Tech: Crazy but true: Google wants to be your cable TV provider in Kansas City

  • then In May 2011, Google made Kansas City, Missouri the second location of their highly-sought-after Fiber Project. The deal? A reasonably-priced one gigabyte-per-second fiber optic internet connection for roughly 50,000 to 500,000 people. Google: Your internet company.
  • now Google just filed for a video franchise license with the Missouri Public Service Commission. Reports claim Google will do something similar in Kansas next week — suggesting Google’s ready to tackle Time Warner Cable on the television front, too. source
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