July 2010
20 posts
Why I Love WMATA
From The Washington Post-
Metro customers boarded a bus Friday afternoon as normal: paying their fares, swiping their SmarTrip cards and plopping down in their seats.
They were unaware, however, that the driver was an impostor.
William Jackson, a 19-year-old District resident, apparently fooled workers and passengers alike. Authorities said he wore a standard-issue Metro bus driver’s...
Class Warfare
From The NYT-
No need for tears, but the well-off are losing their master suites and saying goodbye to their wine cellars.
The housing bust that began among the working class in remote subdivisions and quickly progressed to the suburban middle class is striking the upper class in privileged enclaves like this one in Silicon Valley.
Whether it is their residence, a second home or a house...
The Proof we Need
From The People’s Daily- YES, THE PEOPLE’S DAILY!
An unidentified flying object (UFO) disrupted air traffic over Zhejiang’s provincial capital Hangzhou late on Wednesday, the municipal government said on Thursday.
Xiaoshan Airport was closed after the UFO was detected at around 9 pm, and some flights were rerouted to airports in the cities of Ningbo and Wuxi , said an...
Looking to Beef up Your Brain?
From The NYT-
What goes on inside your brain when you exercise? That question has preoccupied a growing number of scientists in recent years, as well as many of us who exercise. In the late 1990s, Dr. Fred Gage and his colleagues at the Laboratory of Genetics at the Salk Institute in San Diego elegantly proved that human and animal brains produce new brain cells (a process called neurogenesis)...
“Now is the time to put my fucking children and my wife first for a change. I...”
–
-Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, quoted by the Chicago Sun Times, on a wiretap played at his corruption trial.
Simply Put; NPR
For all you NPR fans out there, get with the times….
From The Washington Post-
No need for formalities here: National Public Radio now says it wants to be known simply as NPR.
So the Washington-based organization has quietly changed its name to its familiar initials. Much like the corporate names KFC or AT&T, the initials now stand for the initials.
NPR says it’s abbreviating...
WatchBuffet on the state of the American Economy.
Go to Hell Krugman.
OUCH!
From Breitbart-
After a hugely disappointing World Cup, England striker Wayne Rooney is unlikely to be cheered by his latest accolade: ugliest footballer on the planet.
The Manchester United goal machine, who flopped after being hyped as a potential superstar in South Africa, heads the list of unattractive players on dating website BeautifulPeople.com.
Most beautiful, according to online...
Spy Swap?
From The Wall Street Journal-
MOSCOW—Representatives of a Russian academic convicted in 2004 of spying for the U.S. said he has agreed to be part of a deal to exchange prisoners held in Russia for the suspected spies for Russia arrested last month by U.S. authorities.
The academic, Igor Sutyagin, told his mother of the deal early Wednesday after authorities unexpectedly moved him from a prison...
“Another thing we can do for jobs is make toys of me, especially for the...”
–
-U.S. Senate candidate Alvin Greene (D)
In an interview with The Guardian, the South Carolina candidate discussed his “big idea” to create jobs in his state.
The iphone; Globalization 101
The NYT-
SHENZHEN, China — Last month, while enthusiastic consumers were playing with their new Apple iPhone 4, researchers in Silicon Valley were engaged in something more serious.
They cracked open the phone’s shell and started analyzing the new model’s components, trying to unmask the identity of Apple’s main suppliers. These “teardown reports” provide a glimpse into a company’s ...
Ringo Turns 70!
From The NYT-
Ever since Ringo Starr vowed, on a well-known cover of Buck Owens’s hit “Act Naturally,” that he’d become “the biggest fool to ever hit the big time,” the renowned rock ’n’ roll drummer has done all right for himself. As a member of the Beatles and as a solo artist, Mr. Starr has sold more than a few records, won some Grammy Awards and even had a minor planet named for him....
J-BIEBS To North Korea!
The minute the Great Leader puts these tickets on sale, I’m going to buy 50. I will then scalp them to North Korean hard laborers in the Coal mine regions of the North… Rumor has it they would sell for up to three days worth of food. J-Biebs is big within the Gulag state.
From The BBC-
A public vote on the Canadian singer’s My World Tour page asked users which country he...
Gender Based Follow up
From Deadspin-
Semenya was cleared to return to competition by track’s governing body today, even as questions remain regarding her gender. Here’s what happened.
It’s been nearly a year since Semenya was suspended after dominating the competition at Worlds. Because of rumors that had long dogged her, combined with almost unheard-of improvements in her personal times, they...
The Prophet HATED Mullets...Clearly
From The Telegraph-
In an attempt to rid the country of “decadent Western cuts”, Iran’s culture ministry has produced a catalogue of haircuts that meet government approval.
The list of banned styles includes ponytails, mullets and elaborate spikes. However,quiffs appear to be acceptable, as are fashioning one’s hair in the style of Simon Cowell or cultivating a...
“The internet’s completely over. I don’t see why I should give my new...”
–
-The artist formerly Known as PRINCE.
Would you Want to Know?
From Wall St Journal-
By analyzing the DNA of the world’s oldest people, Boston University scientists said Thursday they have discovered a genetic signature of longevity. They expect soon to offer a test that could let people learn whether they have the constitution to live to a very old age.
The researchers, who studied more than 1,000 people over the age of 100, identified a set of 150...
KNOW ABOUT IT
Borat would be proud!The world’s largest tent opens in the Central Asian Utopia of Kazakhstan.
From The BBC-
Designed by the British architects Foster & Partners, the Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre in the capital Astana is 150m (490ft) high.
It opens on the day the city celebrates 13 years as the capital and President Nursultan Nazarbayev his 70th birthday.
The centre has a huge...
February 2010
22 posts
WatchNot the Best interview, but hey, It’s Ovi.
Seriously?
From USA Today-
Nutritionists have long warned of the perils of hot dogs: fat, sodium and preservatives to name a few.
Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics wants foods like hot dogs to come with a warning label — not because of their nutritional risks but because they pose a choking hazard to babies and children.
Better yet, the academy would like to see foods such as hot dogs...
F Off Hitler
From NYT-
WHEN Yitta Schwartz died last month at 93, she left behind 15 children, more than 200 grandchildren and so many great- and great-great-grandchildren that, by her family’s count, she could claim perhaps 2,000 living descendants.
Mrs. Schwartz was a member of the Satmar Hasidic sect, whose couples have nine children on average and whose ranks of descendants can multiply exponentially....
WatchMEDIA LANDSCAPE REVOLUTION!!!
Eubanks is Out
From People-
When Jay Leno goes back to the Tonight Show, he may need to find a new musical sidekick: Bandleader Kevin Eubanks is said to be leaving Leno’s side after 18 years. NBC so far has not officially confirmed the latest shock wave to hit Leno’s show, first reported by L.A. radio K-EARTH 101 and also being reported by the New York Times. Eubanks, a jazz guitarist who joined...
Such a Shame....
From The Washington Post-
Maribel Perez breathes in short puffs, panting almost, through a hole cut into her trachea and covered demurely with a patch of gauze. Clear tubes connected to a noisy machine in the living room of her small Alexandria apartment pump pure oxygen into her nostrils.
Crossing the room can leave the 36-year-old woman breathless. Crying sometimes feels like drowning.
...
WatchGeneral David Patraeus is a great military leader, that is agreed across the partisan spectrum.
What playbooks does he take from when modeling his own leadership style?
U.S. Grant. Rudy Giuliani…..
WatchMeet Omar Bin Laden
From ABC News-
Osama bin Laden’s son has a chilling warning for those who are hunting his father with drones, secret agents and missile strikes.
From Omar bin Laden’s up-close look at the next generation of mujahideen and al Qaeda training camps he says the worst may lie ahead, that if his father is killed America may face a broader and more violent enemy, with...
WatchAn Executive Low BLOW.
An Unlikely Councilor
From The NYT-
Shon R. Hopwood was not a particularly sophisticated bank robber.
“We would walk into a bank with firearms, tell people to get down, take the money and run,” he said the other day, recalling five robberies in rural Nebraska in 1997 and 1998 that yielded some $200,000 and more than a decade in federal prison.
Mr. Hopwood spent much of that time in the prison law library, and it...
Lil Wayne's Guna Serve a Lil Time
From People-
Lil Wayne is constantly moving. But the hyperactive hip-hop star will find himself suddenly sedentary come Tuesday, when he has to report to prison to serve a yearlong sentence for gun possession. “I don’t like to stop,” Wayne, 27, tells Rolling Stone. “I believe you stop when you die.” He says his prison term is God’s will for him and...
Do No Evil?
From Wired-
The company once known for its “don’t be evil” motto is now in bed with the spy agency known for the mass surveillance of American citizens.
The National Security Agency is widely understood to have the government’s biggest and smartest collection of geeks — the guys that are more skilled at network warfare than just about anyone on the planet. So, in a sense, it’s only natural...
Hockey Town is DC, USA
From DCist-
Capitals 4, Bruins 1: In the immortal words of Wayne Coyne, “do you realize?” So, do you? Do you realize that the Washington Capitals, with last night’s win over the Boston Bruins, are bulldozing their way through not just what is probably the best year in the 35-year history of the franchise, but one of the best seasons in the sporting history of Washington, D.C.?...
WatchIts official…
THE SITUATION WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THURSDAY NIGHTS.
YESSSS.
A Charming Look at a Literary Legend
From The NYT-
N.H. — His most famous character, Holden Caulfield, said it was impossible to find a place that is “nice and peaceful,” but J. D. Salinger may have found something close for himself in the woods of this tiny town. Here Mr. Salinger was just Jerry, a quiet man who arrived early to church suppers, nodded hello while buying a newspaper at the general store and wrote a thank-you note...
“What must come out of this whole Toyota debacle is a stronger, better-budgeted...”
–
-Ralph Nader
A true American patriot speaks. Oh Ralph Nader!
January 2010
60 posts
Lizard Thievery
From SFGATE-
WELLINGTON, New Zealand: A German man who stuffed 44 small lizards into his underwear before trying to board a flight has been sentenced to prison in New Zealand for plundering the country’s protected species. Hans Kurt Kubus, 58, will spend 14 weeks behind bars and must pay a 5,000 New Zealand dollar ($3,540) fine before being deported to Germany as soon as he is released,...
Leaving Their Hoods on the Bench
From The Augusta Chronicle-
A new professional basketball league boasting rosters made up exclusively of white Americans has its eyes set on Augusta, but the team isn’t receiving a warm welcome.
The All-American Basketball Alliance announced in a news release Sunday evening that it intends to start its inaugural season in June and hopes Augusta will be one of 12 cities with a team....
Burger+ Beach+ Beer= I Like
From CNN-
NEW YORK - Burger King Corp. said Friday it plans to open a Whopper Bar in the South Beach area of Miami next month. To keep up with Miami’s night life, Burger King (BKC)’s new Whopper bar will offer American beer and Whopper sandwiches around the clock, staying open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
It will be the chain’s first U.S. location to sell beer, and the...
Double Take
From the UK’s Daily Mail-
Even by the usual attention-seeking standards of women’s tennis, Venus Williams appeared to be flashing rather too much flesh at the Australian Open yesterday. But closer inspection – which many of her male fans undoubtedly undertook – revealed that the five-times Wimbledon champion was actually preserving her modesty with flesh-coloured underwear.
Williams’s...
Torture King Using Cheney's Bunker for Class?
From Business Insider-
UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall law school is hiding one of their celebrity professors to discourage rabid protestors. John Yoo’s California Constitution class locale is not listed on the school’s class schedule. Yoo, who has been making the media rounds to support his book Crisis in Command and defending his authorship of the so-called Bush torture memos, has...
Pamela Anderson, Paris Hilton- MOVE OVER.
From Political Wire-
If you didn’t think the scandals surrounding John Edwards could get worse, think again. Sources have told Gawker that, “in the throes of their affair, John Edwards and Rielle Hunter made a sex tape that contains ‘several sex acts.’ And that his aide, Andrew Young found it on an unmarked DVD.” More details are expected in Young’s book,...
WatchIf Bush put this out, I would find it creepy and slightly Orwellian. But with this quaint commercial from The White House and Obama’s known tech-friendly ways, I find it slightly acceptable…..
Always questioning authority is a tenant of my philosophical outlook, and a straight propaganda pipe built into my phone is something I’ll have to wait and think about.
Chelsea Single?
From Gawker-
A source close to the couple claims that late-night comedienne Chelsea Handler and her conveniently well-connected boyfriend Ted Harbert have split up. Harbert is president and CEO of Comcast Entertainment, which owns E!, the network that airs Chelsea Lately. Handler and Harbert became a couple back in 2006, after her reality-sketch series The Chelsea Handler Show (also with E!)...