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14 Sep 2010 11:06

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Tech: Microsoft does the right thing in Russian software license case

  • To prevent non-government organizations from falling victim to nefarious actions taken in the guise of anti-piracy enforcement, Microsoft will create a new unilateral software license for NGOs that will ensure they have free, legal copies of our products.
  • Microsoft Senior Vice President and General Counsel Brad Smith • On the company’s response to a New York Times article alleging that Russian authorities were raiding political organizations under the guise of protecting Microsoft’s copyrights. “Ultimately, our goals are straightforward,” he writes. “We aim to reduce the piracy and counterfeiting of software, and we aim to do this in a manner that respects fundamental human rights.” While the nature of them dong piracy hunts is questionable in the first place, the response to this particular problem is one of the better ones we’ve seen. PR people, take note. This is how you handle a crisis. source

13 Sep 2010 22:54

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Politics: Guy dies, wants you to donate to Obama’s 2012 opponent

  • There really isn’t much more to add to this. But let’s just say that Mr. Donald Charles Unsworth really was passionate about fighting against that Obama jerk. Perhaps too passionate. To friends and neighbors of this Rome, Georgia, resident, don’t send flowers. Drop a money bomb. source

13 Sep 2010 11:19

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Politics: Newt Gingrich says something that makes us wince

  • What if [Obama] is so outside our comprehension, that only if you understand Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior, can you begin to piece together [his actions]? That is the most accurate, predictive model for his behavior.
  • Newt Gingrich • Saying something so insane that we don’t even understand the point he was going for. “Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior”? How? What is he doing that you have to bring his ethnicity into the fold? Dave Weigel’s headline for this nugget, which he posted over the weekend, is “What Was Newt Gingrich Talking About?” We don’t think anyone can figure it out. Robert Gibbs tries, but he doesn’t get all the way there. source

12 Sep 2010 23:46

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Politics: Max Headroom: Bill Gates brings up death panels for no good reason


  • Bad move, Bill GatesTip to anyone, anywhere, anytime: Don’t have a discussion using the phrase “death panels” in reference to health care. Because if you do, you’re going to show up on Glenn Beck’s news site, The Blaze. The size of this particular hornet’s next is freaking huge, dude.
  • judges ≠ scientistsThe legal decision that decided in favor of a family whose child was linked to her autism is gonna give hope to folks like Jenny McCarthy. The truth is, the science doesn’t support it. Neither does the case, which was found under grounds very specific to the situation.
  • Touré tokes up The Rolling Stone writer and MSNBC contributor had a pretty hilarious rant about California’s pot proposition, ending it with this clever one-liner: “The people who are railing the hardest against decriminalization are those who are most in need of a smoke!” Win.

12 Sep 2010 21:54

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Politics: It’s 9/12! Guess that means a bunch of Tea Partiers were in D.C.

It’s kinda like two weeks ago, except minus Glenn Beck and plus a lot more signs. source

12 Sep 2010 10:00

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Politics: John Boehner sounds downright reasonable on tax cuts

  • If the only option I have is to vote for those at 250 and below, of course I’m going to do that. But I’m going to do everything I can to fight to make sure that we extend the current tax rates for all Americans.
  • House Minority Leader John Boehner • Revealing his willingness to accept only an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class. Obama made waves last week by saying he didn’t want to extend them for the wealthy. Now Boehner says that’s undesirable but something he can live with. That’s surprising. source

12 Sep 2010 00:51

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Politics: Classless: Neil Cavuto cuts in on Michelle Obama to trash Barack

  • What the hell, dude? Considering all the classiness currently going around on all sides of the media, it’s taking a lot to draw our collective attentions, but Neil Cavuto did it here, pointing out – while Michelle Obama was making a speech honoring of the victims of United Flight 93 (!) – that Obama was not famous when the attack took place. Who cares? Just shut up and wait to make your petty, meaningless political point on another day. Note how Michelle was actually saying something relatively heartfelt and meaningful. You couldn’t have that, could you? source
 

11 Sep 2010 13:11

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Politics: Obama’s big economic trouble? Key positions, still vacant

  • 6 key economic positions are still empty nearly two years in source

11 Sep 2010 10:44

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U.S.: Nine years later: Politics kept out of 9/11 remembrance ceremony

Suggestion to everybody: Keep the politics out of it today, just like they did. Nobody wants to hear about it. We’re personally collectively sick of it. source

10 Sep 2010 20:27

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Politics: Obama to everybody: Uh, don’t screw with Muslims, guys

  • This country stands for the proposition that all men and women are created equal; that they have certain inalienable rights — one of those inalienable rights is to practice their religion freely.
  • President Barack Obama • Discussing the whole hubbub about religion in this country. Let’s just put it this way. Islam is getting a bad rap right now and Obama wants it to quit. “We are not at war against Islam,” Obama said. We are at war against terrorist organizations that have distorted Islam or falsely used the banner of Islam to engage in their destructive acts.” Which seems obvious but maybe not. source