E! Online - Going to the well-endowed well once again, MTV is reportedly riffing on HBO's adult dramedy Hung for the teen crowd.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
MTV HANGS HOPES ON HIGH-SCHOOL HUNG (E! ONLINE)
SHUTTLE LAUNCHING DELAYED UNTIL MONDAY
Lightning and showers encroached within 20 miles of the Kennedy Space Center, so NASA will try again at 6:51 p.m. Monday.
GOLDMAN SACHS LIKELY TO POST HUGE PROFITS, ANALYSTS SAY
Wall Street is buzzing that the bank, which only recently paid back its government bailout money, earned more than $2 billion in the March-June period.
LACKEY HOLDS DOWN YANKEES AND ANGELS SWEEP (AP)
AP - John Lackey pitched seven solid innings and the Los Angeles Angels knocked around CC Sabathia to complete a sweep of the New York Yankees with a 5-4 victory Sunday.
NO SURPRISE: WADE GETS EXTENSION OFFER FROM HEAT (AP)
AP - The Miami Heat didn't wait long to announce the NBA's worst-kept secret: They want to keep Dwyane Wade.
JI BIRDIES 72ND HOLE TO CLAIM WOMEN'S OPEN (AP)
AP - Eun Hee Ji of South Korea made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole Sunday, finishing off an even-par 71 to claim the U.S. Women's Open.
Friday, October 30, 2009
SHUTTLE IS READY FOR EVENING LAUNCHING
After hydrogen leaks, schedule conflicts and lightning strikes, the space shuttle Endeavour is poised for launching Sunday evening.
OSCAR-WINNER WILLIAMS SALUTES BATTLING ARMSTRONG (AFP)
AFP - Academy-award winning actor and cycling enthusiast Robin Williams paid tribute to his friend Lance Armstrong's determination to return and win an eighth Tour de France.
"BRUNO" FASHIONS TOP SPOT AT U.S. BOX OFFICE (REUTERS)
Reuters - "Bruno," British satirist Sacha Baron Cohen's latest subversive outing, narrowly claimed the No. 1 spot at the weekend box office in North America, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.
US OUSTED BY CROATIA IN DAVIS CUP QUARTERFINALS (AP)
AP - The United States was ousted from the Davis Cup, and left to wonder how it might have gone had Andy Roddick been around to pelt opponents with his laser serve.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
UBS AND PROSECUTORS SEEK HEARING DELAY
The Swiss bank and U.S. federal prosecutors are trying to settle a dispute over the release of names of bank clients suspected of offshore tax evasion.
LUCKY LOSER RAM CAPTURES ATP HALL OF FAME TITLE (AFP)
AFP - Rajeev Ram, a lucky loser from qualifying, made the most of his second chance by winning the ATP Hall of Fame Championship on Sunday, rallying to beat third seed Sam Querrey in the final.
NY PHILHARMONIC SAYS CUBA TOUR PROSPECTS PROMISING (AP)
AP - Prospects for Cuban performances by the New York Philharmonic look promising following a tour of concert halls and meetings with music officials on the island, orchestra president Zarin Mehta said Sunday.
HUDSON HITS 2 HRS, KERSHAW DOMINANT FOR DODGERS (AP)
AP - All-Star Orlando Hudson homered twice, Clayton Kershaw won his fifth consecutive road start and the Los Angeles Dodgers capped the best first half in the majors with a 7-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
KURT BUSCH, JOHNSON TRADE PAINT, WORDS (AP)
AP - Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson traded paint. It might be awhile until they exchange pleasantries.
DARIO FRANCHITTI WINS AT TORONTO (AP)
AP - Dario Franchitti had nearly forgotten what it was like to win on the streets of Toronto. After a decade, he refreshed his memory.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
RONALDO DOES NOT HAVE STAR MENTALITY, SAYS REAL COACH (AFP)
AFP - Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini says Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, who the Spanish giants signed for a record 94 million euros, does not have a star mentality.
ARMSTRONG STAYS IN 3RD PLACE, EYES ANOTHER TOUR (AP)
AP - With the Pyrenees behind him but the toughest rides still to come, Lance Armstrong is already talking about another run next year in the Tour de France.
BATTLEFIELD 1943 DEBUTS TO EAGER THRONGS (PC WORLD)
PC World - After hitting Xbox Live and PSN earlier this week, DICE/EA's 24-player, World War II, shooter/vehicle-mayhem-causing Battlefield 1943 left players frustrated with laggy gameplay, pesky bugs and queued lines just to join a server.
BECKETT PITCHES 3-HITTER TO END STRONG FIRST HALF (AP)
AP - Josh Beckett capped a brilliant first half of the season with a three-hitter, joining teammate Tim Wakefield as the only 11-game winners in the AL as the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 6-0 Sunday.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
HOFFMAN, PENA, DUKE ADDED TO ALL-STAR TEAMS (AP)
AP - Trevor Hoffman was supposed to take his sons fishing. Instead, they're all headed back to the All-Star game.
ZAMBRANO POWERS CUBS PAST CARDINALS (AP)
AP - Carlos Zambrano pitched six solid innings and hit his third homer of the season, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3 on Sunday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
THOMAS, INGE LEAD TIGERS TO 10-1 WIN OVER INDIANS (AP)
AP - Clete Thomas drove in five runs and Brandon Inge homered twice as the Detroit Tigers routed the Cleveland Indians 10-1 on Sunday.
MARBELLA MATADOR FERRERO RESCUES SPAIN, CROATIA SEE OFF USA (AFP)
AFP - Juan Carlos Ferrero was master of the Marbella bullring on Sunday as he steered defending champions Spain into the Davis Cup semi-finals while Croatia knocked out 32-time winners USA.
INKSTER EXPECTS QUICK RESOLUTION TO LPGA DISPUTE (AP)
AP - LPGA player Juli Inkster expects the dispute between a faction of tour members and commissioner Carolyn Bivens to be resolved this week and says the tour's Board of Directors will look for an interim replacement while searching for the "right person for the job."
ISRAEL PHONE FIRM'S WEST BANK WALL GAG FAILS TO AMUSE (REUTERS)
Reuters - A television advert for an Israeli cellphone firm showing soldiers playing soccer over the West Bank barrier has sparked cries of bad taste and prompted Arab lawmakers on Sunday to demand it be taken off air.
ISRAEL PHONE FIRM'S WEST BANK WALL GAG FAILS TO AMUSE (REUTERS)
Reuters - A television advert for an Israeli cellphone firm showing soldiers playing soccer over the West Bank barrier has sparked cries of bad taste and prompted Arab lawmakers on Sunday to demand it be taken off air.
Monday, October 26, 2009
'BRUNO' SASHAYS TO BOX-OFFICE FAME WITH $30.4M (AP)
AP - Gay Austrian fashion devotee Bruno has landed the No. 1 spot at the weekend box office, though it's uncertain how much staying power he has.
AZERI BLOGGER DETAINED, OIL MAJOR PRESSES CASE (REUTERS)
Reuters - An opposition blogger in Azerbaijan has been remanded in custody pending trial on hooliganism charges, prompting protests from his employer, oil major BP Plc, a media rights group said on its website.
ARMSTRONG: THIS TOUR 'PROBABLY NOT' HIS LAST (AP)
AP - Lance Armstrong says he could be back for one more Tour de France.
NEW CHIEF DEFENDS U.S. BASE FOR AGENCY THAT MANAGES WEB
The new head of the agency that regulates Internet addresses, facing criticism that it is too America-centric, said that it remained the best guardian of a ?single, unified, global Internet.?
GREEN INC. COLUMN: THE SILENCE OF HYBRIDS CAUSES SOME ALARM
Some governments are considering legislation to require electric vehicles to make some noise.
DEALBOOK: UBS AND PROSECUTORS SEEK HEARING DELAY
The Swiss bank UBS and U.S. federal prosecutors sought to delay a hearing so the two sides can try to settle a dispute over the release of names of the bank?s clients.
USE CAUTION AT WORK ON INTERNET, CELL PHONE (AP)
AP - A few tips for employees regarding Internet and cell phone use:
YOUNG WORKERS PUSH EMPLOYERS FOR WIDER WEB ACCESS (AP)
AP - Ryan Tracy thought he'd entered the Dark Ages when he graduated college and arrived in the working world.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
HOFFMAN TO REPLACE BROXTON ON NL SQUAD (AP)
AP - Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman will replace Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton on the National League squad for the All-Star game Tuesday night.
ARMSTRONG STAYS IN 3RD AS TOUR LEAVES PYRENEES (AP)
AP - Lance Armstrong stayed in third place at the Tour de France on Sunday after a deliberate ride on the last day in the Pyrenees.
KAYMER WINS SCOTTISH OPEN FOR 2ND STRAIGHT WIN (AP)
AP - Martin Kaymer has won the Scottish Open, closing with a 2-under 69 in the rain and sunshine at Loch Lomond for his second straight European Tour victory.
PENA REPLACES PEDROIA ON AL ALL-STAR TEAM (AP)
AP - Tampa Bay first baseman Carlos Pena will replace Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the American League roster for Tuesday's game All-Star game.
POLICE DETAIN WIFE OF FORMER BOXING CHAMPION GATTI (AP)
AP - The wife of former boxing champion Arturo Gatti was detained as a suspect by Brazilian authorities Sunday following his death at a posh seaside resort.
NO STATE FOR REFUGEES | DIMI REIDER
Israel, which berates other nations for historically failing to help Jewish refugees, is cracking down on asylum seekers
Israel ? the "state of the refugees" whose culture has been shaped, for better and worse, by migration ? is now turning on the migrants and refugees who seek a safe haven within its borders.
The Knesset decided to resume work on a bill, tellingly titled the Infiltrators Law (pdf), which aims to reorganise Israel's confused and haphazard dealings with the refugees from Darfur, South Sudan, Congo and Eritrea who manage to reach its Egyptian border. It brands all those who cross this border other than through designated terminals as "infiltrators", and instructs soldiers who find them to quickly determine if they can be handed back immediately to the Egyptian troops.
In the case of asylum seekers (who cannot be summarily returned), the bill proceeds to set forth their punishments, since "we believe that anyone crossing illegally into a country does so with ill intent". Anyone who is a citizen of an enemy state or territory (such as Sudan and Gaza) can be sentenced to seven years in prison; anyone carrying a weapon, which "includes knives" (ever tried walking across 120 miles of desert without a knife?), or anyone accompanying a person carrying a weapon (such as a family guided by an armed smuggler), can get up to 20 years. The bill passed its first reading in March last year and the latest decision means it can pass the rest of Israel's legislative process within weeks.
Bur the draft law goes further. The 17,000 asylum seekers who did manage to enter Israel in the last nine years are supported by a network of selfless Israelis. From the Workers Hotline that tries to provide them with jobs, through Assaf, which provides them with legal aid and caters to their basic needs, all the way to inspired individuals who assist the refugees on the ground, there is work here reminiscent of the slave-trade era's Underground Railroad. And there is a corresponding memento in clause five of the bill:
He who assists one who transgresses against this law, by easing the act of infiltration or by easing the infiltrator's illegal stay in the state, shall be punished exactly as the perpetrator of the actual offence.
Neither the draft nor its accompanying notes elaborate as to what "assistance" means. The vague and generic phrasing of this clause makes it possible to prosecute the NGOs and volunteers that assist refugees, employers who engage them and volunteer physicians who treat them. In fact, anyone offering a parched refugee a drink of water or a ride can get up to 20 years.
The draft also expands the authority of police, granting new arrest powers to regular soldiers "if they have reasonable grounds to suspect a person had recently infiltrated Israel", and granting soldiers and police the powers "to enter at any reasonable time to any locality, excepting living quarters, if they suspect a person defined as infiltrator is to be found within said locality, and carry out inspections".
In other words, any policeman or soldier could enter, without a warrant, almost any place, if they believed that an "infiltrator" is to be found there. The exclusion of living quarters still leaves schools, clinics, hospitals, and, importantly, NGO offices, vulnerable to such searches, and another clause notes the searchers may use "reasonable force against persons or property" if resisted.
All this meticulous abuse is reserved for men, women and children who barely escaped genocide, civil war or forced recruitment. Even reaching the Israeli border is no mean feat; Egyptian authorities routinely return whoever they capture to their countries of origin, where most of them disappear, while others are detained indefinitely in obscure jails and prison camps. Those who try to traverse the Sinai desert peninsula to get to Israel are frequently murdered by Egyptian troops, often in plain sight of IDF soldiers, as they make the final desperate dash across the unfenced border.
In contrast to scaremongering Israeli rhetoric (Ehud Olmert, tragically misunderstood in the west as a moderate, warned of "a human tsunami washing Israel" if more asylum seekers were not returned to Egypt), most refugees tend to stay in the country nearest to their own. Only 17,000, some 1,000 of them children, are in Israel today. In international law, those 17,000 are asylum seekers, whose status is yet to be determined, but as far as Israel is concerned, they are "infiltrators", and their asylum requests rarely get examined at all. Of those 17,000, only 12 cases have been reviewed in the last two years, and all 12 have been denied. The rest are in prison (some 1,500 in the infamous First Intifada prison-camp of Ketziot), or on short-term visas that ban them from living and working in the centre of the country, pushing them out to the already struggling peripheries of the Negev and the Galilee. Some have not been able to secure even those minimal permissions, and work and live in Israel illegally, risking deportation and imprisonment. In the last few years, several hundred have been returned to Egypt, and have not been heard from since.
The latest legislative feat of Israel, which never misses an opportunity to remind western countries of how they failed to take in Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, is repugnant. But this bill is only one of a series of measures Israel is taking against its non-Jewish residents.
In August, Israel plans to force a mass exodus of most of the 250,000 migrant workers, and to replace them with fresh labour. Israel is operating by the twin codes of pragmatic xenophobia and practical double standards. Foreigners are allowed to work at the lowest end of the market, but not to strike roots, raise families and integrate; the Jewish refugees of 70 years ago are a great stick to beat the west with, but heaven forbid we show compassion to present-day, non-Jewish refugees, lest our precious demographic balance is disrupted.
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Saturday, October 24, 2009
DELIVERING LETTERS TO YOUR INBOX
A program introduced by the Swiss Post lets subscribers decide which envelopes they want opened and scanned in their entirety to be read online.
POSTSECRET 7.12.09
Here are a few of my favorites from this week’s batch of PostSecret. Be sure to check out the rest of them at PostSecret.
MEDIA CACHE: THE PARADOX OF PRIVACY
The subtle relationship between privacy and control has complicated things for marketers.
CZECHS TIED 2-2 WITH ARGENTINIANS IN DAVIS CUP (AFP)
AFP - Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro eased past Tomas Berdych to bring last year's finalists level with the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup World Group quarter-final in Ostrava on Sunday.
BLACK CULTURE LIGHTS UP BROADWAY'S GREAT WHITE WAY (REUTERS)
Reuters - When U.S. President Barack Obama took his wife, Michelle, to a Broadway play by African American playwright August Wilson about a black father's search for freedom, ticket sales for the production spiked.
REPORT: LATOYA JACKSON SAYS MICHAEL WAS MURDERED (AP)
AP - Two British Sunday newspapers said LaToya Jackson believes her brother Michael Jackson was murdered by a group of conspirators trying to get hold of his fortune.
JACKSON, HEALTHY OR NOT? DEPENDS ON WHO'S TALKING (AP)
AP - In his final days, Michael Jackson was robust and active. Or dangerously thin and frail. Begging for access to powerful prescription drugs. Or showing no signs of ever having used them.
Friday, October 23, 2009
ERICSSON TO INVEST $1.5 BLN IN SOUTH KOREA (AFP)
AFP - Ericsson of Sweden, the world's leading mobile phone network provider, plans to invest 1.5 billion dollars in South Korea over the next five years, officials said Sunday.
IBRAHIMOVIC CLAIMS CHELSEA INTEREST (AFP)
AFP - Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic claimed Sunday that Premier League giants Chelsea are set to make a 60 million pounds (97 million dollars) move for him.
S. KOREA ANALYZES COMPUTERS USED IN CYBERATTACKS (AP)
AP - South Korean police are analyzing a sample of the tens of thousands of infected computers used to crash Web sites in South Korea and the U.S., but conceded Sunday they may not lead to the culprit.
REYNOLDS ANXIOUS TO CHALLENGE FOR U.S. OPEN TITLE (AP)
AP - Not that long ago, Jean Reynolds grew tired of golf. Now, she's looking forward to the pressure of the back nine in the final round of the U.S. Women's Open.
EYES ON POSSIBLE TEAM RIFT AS ARMSTRONG REMAINS 3RD
The seven-time champion Lance Armstrong remained in third place in the Tour de France after Spain?s Luis Le
SPECIAL ALLOY SLEEVES URGED TO BLOCK HACKERS? (AP)
AP - To protect against skimming and eavesdropping attacks, federal and state officials recommend that Americans keep their e-passports tightly shut and store their RFID-tagged passport cards and enhanced driver's licenses in "radio-opaque" sleeves.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
HOWARD'S HOMER HIGHLIGHTS PHILLIES' 5-RUN 9TH (AP)
AP - Ryan Howard hit a tying three-run homer in the ninth inning before Paul Bako's single gave the Philadelphia Phillies an 8-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
TENSION? ARMSTRONG VS. CONTADOR AT TOUR DE FRANCE (AP)
AP - Lance Armstrong is trying not to let his rivalry with Alberto Contador distract him and the rest of the Astana team at the Tour de France.
VICKERS STILL SEARCHING FOR 1ST WIN (AP)
AP - Brian Vickers took the pole, he just couldn't take the checkered flag. Again.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
JOHNSON HOMERS IN 7TH TO LIFT M'S OVER RANGERS 4-1 (AP)
AP - Rob Johnson hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning to lift the Seattle Mariners to a 4-1 victory over the Texas Rangers.
JOBS: SUMMER MUST-READ? TRY CAREER ADVICE
Books offering job-hunting strategies and inspiration are making a strong showing as people seek an edge in the tightest job market in decades.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
OLD MAN AND THE C: MARTIN WINS AT CHICAGOLAND (AP)
AP - Mark Martin won at Chicagoland Speedway, getting the strong jump off the double-file restart with two laps left to win his series-high fourth race of the season.
ADAMEK BEATS GUNN TO DEFEND CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE (AP)
AP - Tomasz Adamek successfully defended his International Boxing Federation cruiserweight world championship Saturday night with a fourth-round technical knockout of Bobby Gunn.
Monday, October 19, 2009
FACEBOOK STATUS UPDATES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN, ALL THINGS CLEAN, AND VERY LENGTHY ?TITLES? AS OPPOSED TO NICKNAMES.
Meleah is writing this blog post in the third person, because it?s easier for her to make fun of her self [and light of any situation] when she refers to herself in the third person. Especially when she is delirious from total exhaustion.[Sorry, Moog35.]This week?s ?Cleaning Extravaganza? provided what could have been, most excellent ?Facebook [...]
HOWARD HR HIGHLIGHTS PHILLIES' FIVE-RUN 9TH (AP)
AP - Ryan Howard hit a tying three-run homer in the ninth inning before Paul Bako's single gave the Philadelphia Phillies an 8-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
SMOLTZ GETS FIRST WIN WITH RED SOX (AP)
AP - John Smoltz finally felt as if he contributed to the Boston Red Sox. He doesn't expect it to be for the last time.
BECKHAM FIRES BACK AT "UNPROFESSIONAL" DONOVAN (AFP)
AFP - England star midfielder David Beckham ripped Los Angeles Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan as unprofessional ahead of his return to the Major League Soccer squad on Monday.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
DAVIS AND KENNEDY HIT 2-RUN HRS IN OAKLAND'S WIN (AP)
AP - Rajai Davis and Adam Kennedy each hit two-run homers in the seventh inning, and Dallas Braden gave up two runs over six innings as the Oakland Athletics beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-2 on Saturday night.
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