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22 May 2011 11:12

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Culture: The incestuous, pay-for-play world of celebrity gossip sites

  • There’s this unbelievable hunger for a constant flow of information about these people. So everybody has to feed this machine all the time.
  • Lindsay Lohan’s lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley • Offering an explanation for why her client is always in the news. Essentially, the $3 billion entertainment gossip industry — specifically, sites like TMZ, Perez Hilton and Radar Online — needs her. The New York Times’ sprawling piece on celebrity gossip sites, which includes interviews with Michael Lohan (along with an explanation of how he made a bunch of money off Jon Gosselin) and an explanation of how the Los Angeles Coroner’s Department has had to fend off gossip reporters climbing over walls in an attempt to catch a photo of a deceased celebrity. (They’ve had two major leaks — death certificates of Michael Jackson and Brittany Murphy.) All in the hunt for hits, guys. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Jul 2010 11:20

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Tech: Microsoft resorts to paying developers to make mobile apps

  • Translation: We’re desperate to play with Google and Apple. In a pretty implicit admission that they’re playing catch-up, the company plans to pay developers to help give Windows Phone 7 an early push. Why this strategy? Well, some developers may not be willing to program for an untested platform if they’re not convinced people are going to use it. It’s a good idea for Microsoft, but they can only get away with it because they’re Microsoft. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Jun 2010 11:04

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Politics: Rod Blagojevich: A man in need of a circus of a trial

Pretty much the best chance he has of winning his corruption trial is to be as blustery and over-the-top as possible. Wonder what Kato Kaelin is doing right now. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Aug 2009 21:38

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U.S.: Rod Blagojevich is gonna use his blog to tell you he’s a nice guy

“Since his controversial ousting from office …” Wait. Was there anything controversial about Rod’s impeachment, besides the fact that he didn’t like it? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Aug 2009 21:31

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Biz, U.S.: Pay-for-play internships: Trust fund kids get to try on dream jobs

  • It’s kind of crazy. The demand for internships in the past 5, 10 years has opened up this huge market. At this point, all we can do is teach students to understand that they’re paying and to ask the right questions.
  • University of Kansas career center director David Gaston • On the high demand for internships, which has created a niche market for services designed to help you (or your parents help you) get that awesome internship you always dreamed of. One organization, the University of Dreams, received 9,000 applications for the services last year alone. We don’t like this; this is very much gaming the system. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jul 2009 22:18

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Biz, U.S.: Pay-for-play journalism with the Washington Post? No way, Jose!

  • We will not participate in events where promises are made that in exchange for money The Post will offer access to newsroom personnel or will refrain from confrontational questioning. Our independence from advertisers or sponsors is inviolable.
  • Marcus W. Brauchli • Executive editor of The Washington Post, talking about a report in Politico about a series of “salons” to offered lobbyists access to Washington Post journalists in exchange for their soul … er, money. The first meeting was reported to be at the publisher’s house July 21, and was going to have Post reporters, Obama administration officials and Congressmen. Word is that the flyer for the event leaked early and without proper vetting, and it was likely a marketing person’s vision. In other words, someone’s getting yelled at in a boardroom right now. (Disclosure: ShortFormBlog editor Ernie Smith is affiliated with The Washington Post’s Express, but the blog itself has no ties to The Post, nor does it express the opinions of the company.) • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Apr 2009 20:45

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U.S.: Notable number of the day #1: Charges against Blago

  • 16 federal felony charges against the guy with the hair source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

02 Apr 2009 20:28

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U.S.: Rod Blagojevich on his indictment: “I’m going to Disney World!”

  • It’s a small world after all, but Blago’s still in big trouble. Everyone’s favorite governmental punching bag was apparently taking a vacation from getting in trouble today in Magic Kingdom, but trouble found him anyway. Prosecutors charged him and five others with a host of scary-sounding crimes, including making Barack Obama’s old Illinois Senate seat pay-for-play. Man, this story will just not die, and we’re loving every minute of it. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2009 10:01

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U.S.: Blago’s new book: “How I still cashed in on Obama’s seat”

  • The latest Blago thing Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich allegedly tried to sell Barack Obama’s seat for a payday. Then he got impeached. Now, it appears he’s still getting his payday, in the form of a six-figure deal to sell his story to a publisher. The book will be on the shelves in October, just in time for us to not care anymore.
  • Will this saga ever end? We admit it, the Rod Blagojevich/Roland Burris saga has given us a ton to write about. But you know, there are other newsworthy things going on. Like drag queens. Or the porn industry. Or Aretha Franklin’s stupid ugly hat that she wore at the inauguration. Anything but the stupid economy. That’s just too much for us. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Feb 2009 10:23

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U.S.: The Feds and Roland Burris have a nice fireside chat

  • Wonder what they talked about. Burris, who had delayed the chat for several weeks, was asked by the Feds about his role in the Rod Blagojevich scandal, which saw the former Illinois governor try to sell Burris’ current Senate seat for profit or personal gain. Rod got kicked out last month, but now Burris is a giant question mark due to his recent admission that he actively campaigned to raise funds for Blagojevich. Burris faces no criminal charges – well, in this probe. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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