News. Sports. Fun. Life
Contributed by: filbert Saturday, April 23 2005 @ 09:11 AM CST
Heard the one about Spearfish, SD having an ordinance saying that a group of three or more Indians (aka “Native Americans”) could be shot on site? It isn’t true–another urban myth[*3] .
Contributed by: filbert Friday, April 22 2005 @ 08:33 AM CST
Japan’s Prime Minister apologizes to China[*2] . Well, I’m glad that flap is over, and the two countries can go back to being best buddies. Yah, right.
Monday is the first day of “TV Turnoff Week.”[*3] Does anybody actually plan to do this?
Earth Day is, um, today?[*4] . Who knew? Have you hugged your tree today? I guess President Bush will be doing some Smoky Mountain Tree Hugging[*5] himself.
Google profits up 500%[*6] . Keep clicking those ‘Ads by Goooooogle’ boxes, folks.
Contributed by: filbert Thursday, April 21 2005 @ 08:26 PM CST
Bloggers: The light at the end of the newspaper’s tunnel[*2] by Phil Boas at The Masthead.
A taste (click on “read more” below):
To many of you, bloggers are a presumptuous rabble-amateurs elbowing their way into the publishing world. You may not know them, but they know you: your face, your manners, your prejudices, your conceits.
They’re your readers. And, God help us, they’ve become the one thing we’ve always begged them to become …
Engaged.
As you can probably tell, Medary.com at this point in its evolution is essentially a headline-clipping service with a bit of commentary thrown in for seasoning. We’re working here on some original content projects right now, but our bread and butter will continue to be highlighting and commenting on News, Sports, Fun, Life. Nice to see that some of the Main-Stream Media (the MSM) are starting to realize that the information flow is no longer a one-way street, and that “it has to be true, I saw it on the news” won’t cut it any more.
Contributed by: filbert Thursday, April 21 2005 @ 09:07 AM CST
But maybe they’re learning. House Speaker Hastert edges toward hardball politics by suggesting that leading Democrats might also find themselves in the ethical crosshairs.
The NEA thinks your money is theirs, and they’ll sue to get it.
Synchronized traffic lights save time, gas[*4] . They’re also not really that easy to set up and operate[*5] especially as size of the city grows, which is why most places don’t do it. They should, though.
Space Shuttle’s return to space pushed back a week[*6] to May 22.
Marine is leading candidate to become Chairman of Joint Chiefs[*7] , would be first Marine in that post.
Chimps will not be charged[*8] in mauling of California man.
Meanwhile, the Great Ape Trust of Iowa[*9] is set to open a new campus near Des Moines.
Great Ape Trust. Of Iowa.
US Airways-America West airline merger being discussed[*10] .
There’s apparently an NFL Draft[*11] about to happen. Unfortunately I’ve been so busy with life elsewhere that I haven’t been paying attention.
San Diego gets a second college football bowl game[*12] , and San Jose loses theirs[*13] .
Deron Williams won’t be returning[*14] to the Illinois basketball team next year, gets agent, files for the NBA draft.
Snookums and I have been watching House[*15] recently.
Ben and Jen Part Deux[*16] . Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner.
Contributed by: filbert Wednesday, April 20 2005 @ 10:10 PM CST
Contributed by: filbert Wednesday, April 20 2005 @ 09:21 PM CST
The adjustments that the company has made to its production schedule in the first two quarters of 2005, and the warnings from credit rating agencies that the company’s huge debt faces downgrading to junk bond status has focused America’s financial markets on the problems of the world’s largest carmaker.
GM CFO John Devine denied that GM was headed for bankruptcy on a Neil Cavuto interview on Fox News:
DEVINE: Absolutely not, no. There’s no question about that.
I realize some companies have done that, but it is not our game plan, doesn’t enter our mind. Our issue is, get our product right, focus on our marketing and get our costs right. So, we think, in the case of health care, there are things we can do. We have other areas of cost. That’s what we have to focus on. That’s what we have to do to turn around North America.
As this Business Week article on Yahoo![*3] states however, GM still has quite a distance to fall before the b-word really becomes imminent:
Still, GM is a long way from the worst-case scenarios floated by some critics. Before it could qualify for bankruptcy, GM would have to tip into serious cash-negative territory. United Airlines Inc. (UALAQ ) lost $5.4 billion in the two years before it went bankrupt in 2002, and it has avoided paying hundreds of millions in pension payments since. GM, by contrast, now has a $3 billion surplus in its pension fund and won’t have to make any contributions this year or next. Says Devine: “Anyone who thinks that bankruptcy is an answer is nuts.”.
Still, even mentioning GM and bankruptcy in the same sentence says volumes about the “perpetual” nature of corporations. It’s really simple: make money and live, lose money and die.
Contributed by: filbert Wednesday, April 20 2005 @ 03:25 AM CST
Cell transplant from mother to daughter cures Type 1 diabetes in daughter[*2] .
Hope for rural Internet users (Hi, Betty! Hi, Brenda!) Wi-Max is coming[*3] . Long-range (up to 30 miles), wireless networking. As mentioned in a previous Whip, Intel is moving forward with a chip implementation of Wi-Max.
“One Size Doesn’t Fit All.” With those profound words, the Government tries again[*4] with their Food Pyramid. Is the USDA still pushing carbs? You betcha!
Division I athletics finally come to South Dakota[*5] , as the U. of Minnesota visits South Dakota State in Sioux Falls. To understand what a big deal this is, realize that South Dakota was the very last of all the states to field a “big-time” college athletic program.
Tech question of the day: How do you syslog[*6] ?
Contributed by: filbert Monday, April 18 2005 @ 05:51 AM CST
India and Pakistan are making nice[*2] .
Bad week for cruise ships. First bedbugs, now a giant wave damages a ship[*3] .
South Dakota is giving away an official Governor’s Mansion[*4] . Get yours today!
Is too much Vitamin E bad for you?[*5]
Wi-Max gets closer. Intel announces a chipset.[*6]