Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

07 Feb 2010 09:18

tags

World: Jacob Zuma’s sorry about breaking his polygamist marriage vows

  • I deeply regret the pain that I have caused to my family, the ANC, the Alliance and South Africans in general. The matter, though private, has … put a lot of pressure on my family and my organization, the African National Congress.
  • South African President Jacob Zuma • Regarding the revelation that, despite his status as a polygamist, he managed to have a child with a woman who is not his wife. He has three wives and 19 children, and while the practice is legal in the country (and common among Zulus like Zuma), it’s also pretty controversial and provides critics of Zuma with an easy target. It also makes the John Edwards thing look tame. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Feb 2010 11:09

tags

Biz: Toyota’s president: I take personal blame for all these problems

  • I deeply regret that I caused concern among so many people. We will do our utmost to regain the trust of our customers.
  • Toyota Motor Company President Akio Toyoda • Regarding the recent recall crisis. Toyoda, the grandson of the company’s founder, has a bit of a mess on his hands thanks to the recalls. He’s been absent in recent weeks, which hasn’t helped the company’s cause. Asked about whether they’d been underestimating the problem, he said, “I believe what is happening now is a very big problem. We are in a crisis.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Jan 2010 18:19

tags

Politics: Mel Gibson tests out his sobriety by trashing on Barack Obama

  • He got left a mess and I wish him all the best but I don’t think he’s going to fix it in five minutes and probably not in his entire tenure.
  • Mel Gibson • Discussing his feelings on whether or not Barack Obama can succeed at fixing all the problems Bush left for him. He doesn’t think he’s up for it. In other news, Ricky Gervais got Mel Gibson good at the Golden Globes a couple weeks back. One of the best rips we’ve ever seen, actually. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Jan 2010 17:52

tags

Politics: Obama’s pull-apart of the Republicans: Will it boost his image?

  • Rarely has there been such an encounter between a president and the opposition party and certainly never on national television. It was the antithesis of the kind of snarling exchanges that often pass for political dialogue, whether between strategists in the two parties, candidates in the heat of a campaign or on the worst of cable television.
  • Washington Post reporter Dan Balz • Analyzing our favorite moment of politics between Barack Obama and the Republican Party, yesterday’s steel-cage death match at the Republican compound in Baltimore. A Q&A session between the president and the party that has made his life hell over the last year, Obama came out FAR ahead at the end of it, pointing out some of the dirtier political tricks he’s seen and effectively beating down their talking points. The fact that it aired on national TV made the barbs even more impressive. The question is, will the talk have a lasting effect or is it just a really good moment of levity? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Jan 2010 01:48

tags

U.S.: Some quick takes on Obama’s State of the Union speech

  • We have lots more written up about Obama’s SOTU speech, but we’re saving that for later. Simply put: It was a good speech but we have no clue if it’ll change anything. Here are some more thoughts:
  • Biggest shot in the arm His reminder to Senate Democrats not to back down after losing their 60th vote in Scott Brown’s surprise Massachusetts win. After a week and a half of crying in locked rooms and saying “woe is me,” it was exactly what was needed.
  • Biggest disappointment Obama admitted that the three-year partial budget freeze wouldn’t take place until 2011, which drew big boos from many. “It’s the way budgets work,” he claimed. He wasn’t upfront about this in his speech, which was pretty bad form.
  • Most amusing moments There were two – Obama’s bringing up of the Supreme Court decision on campaign finance reform to utter blankness on the part of the Court, and Michelle Obama’s obvious desire to not be there. You could totally read her face! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Jan 2010 21:09

tags

Politics: Twitter tackles the State of the Union. Will Obama rock it?

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Jan 2010 09:08

tags

U.S.: So, Obama’s taking responsibility in his State of the Union tonight

  • But he won’t take blame. Obama’s first year in office hasn’t been perfect, and now the administration’s running with its tail between its legs, trying to figure out the best way to reconcile after the Scott Brown loss. Expect an Obama who takes “responsibility” for the missteps tonight, but not one who shoulders the blame. Should be fun to watch. We’ll be there, blogging about it. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

25 Jan 2010 21:40

tags

Politics: The Carter plan: Obama says he’d rather have one good term

  • I’d rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president. … You know, there is a tendency in Washington to believe our job description, of elected officials, is to get reelected. That’s not our job description. Our job description is to solve problems and to help people.
  • Barack Obama • In an interview on ABC News. The president seems awful headsure about his selflessness of late, and it’s pretty impressive that he can say this a year after his election. The problem, of course, is that two years from now, he’s going to have a hard time not eating his words when he’s trying to get reelected. Will he regret saying this when he’s taking on a tea-addicted Sarah Palin in 2012? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Jan 2010 20:44

tags

U.S.: Frozen like ICE: Obama’s gonna freeze some spending. Whoa!

  • three
    years     amount of time Obama plans to stop growth in domestic spending
  • $250
    billion     amount of money the government would save with the measure source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Jan 2010 11:40

tags

U.S., World: Bin Laden audiotape: Plane attacks a communication device

  • The message sent to you with the attempt by the hero Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is a confirmation of our previous message conveyed by the heroes of September 11. If it was possible to carry our messages to you by words, we wouldn’t have carried them to you by planes.
  • “Osama bin Laden” • In an audio-taped message to President Obama claiming responsibility for the Dec. 25 attempt to blow up a plane in Detroit. While the U.S. can’t confirm it’s the leader, Al Jazeera put it on the air anyway. Bin Laden said that the attacks would continue “as U.S. support for Israel continues.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>