Archive for February, 2011
Wisconsin Governor Threatens to Replace Union Workers With National Guard
February 17th, 2011Via: Huffington Post: State workers in Wisconsin are protesting a statement by Republican Governor Scott Walker that, union reps say, amounts to a threat to use the National Guard to help break the public union. Citing a $137 million budget deficit, Walker announced a plan last week which would essentially take away the public union’s […]
Canada Hit by Cyberattack
February 17th, 2011Via: Reuters: The Canadian government was hit by an unprecedented cyber attack from Chinese-based computers last month that penetrated two key economic ministries, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp reported on Wednesday. The CBC cited sources as saying the hackers broke into computer systems at the Finance Department and Treasury Board. Once the attack was detected, Internet […]
After ‘Jeopardy!’ Victory, Watson Headed to Hospitals
February 17th, 2011Via: AP: Fresh off its shellacking of two human champions of the “Jeopardy!” television show, a computer program developed by IBM Corp. will soon get a workout in two hospitals that have signed up to test the technology. The agreements with the Columbia University Medical Center and the University of Maryland School of Medicine will […]
U.S. Government Shuts Down 84,000 Websites, ‘By Mistake’
February 17th, 2011Reminder: If you ever visit cryptogon.com and see the Seized-By-Homeland-Security message, keep cryptogon.ch handy. Via: Raw Story: Approximately 84,000 websites were shut down and wrongfully accused of having links to child pornography as part of “Operation Protect Our Children,” a new joint operation between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ). […]
Map: Where Americans Are Moving
February 17th, 2011I wonder if there’s an international version. *chuckle* Via: Forbes: More than 10 million Americans moved from one county to another during 2008. The map below visualizes those moves. Click on any county to see comings and goings: black lines indicate net inward movement, red lines net outward movement.
New Zealand: Rural Broadband Scheme ‘Destructive’
February 17th, 2011Via: New Zealand Herald: John Key says he wants to “streamline and improve” bureaucracy. Bill English says the country can’t afford waffly policy. Great. They can do away with the Ministry of Economic Development. That should save billions and get rid of policy that is not only waffly but downright destructive. The decision to start […]
Curveball’s Nonsense Led U.S. to War in Iraq?
February 16th, 2011We’re to believe that al-Janabi made it all happen. It’s fascinating how Project for the New American Century, with its vigorous agitating for regime change in Iraq, wasn’t mentioned in this piece at all. The U.S. was going to whack Iraq, al-Janabi or no al-Janabi. Via: Guardian: In a small flat in the German town […]
Serious Doubt Cast on FBI’s Anthrax Case Against Bruce Ivins
February 16th, 2011Via: Salon: From the start, it was obvious that the FBI’s case against Ivins was barely more persuasive than its case against Hatfill had been. The allegations were entirely circumstantial; there was no direct evidence tying Ivins to the mailings; and there were huge, glaring holes in both the FBI’s evidentiary and scientific claims. So […]
Rising Food Prices Push Millions Around the World Into Extreme Poverty
February 16th, 2011Via: New York Times: A sharp rise in food prices since June has pushed 44 million people in developing countries into extreme poverty — having to live on less than $1.25 a day — according to a new study by the World Bank. The bank’s price index soared 29 percent from January 2010 to January […]
Borders Files for Bankruptcy, Will Close Some Stores
February 16th, 2011Recovery. Via: Bloomberg: Borders Group Inc., the number-two U.S. bookstore chain, filed for bankruptcy in New York today after management changes, job cuts and debt restructuring failed to make up for sagging book sales in the face of competition from Amazon.com Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Borders will shut about 30 percent of “underperforming” stores […]
