tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26218822943689020542024-09-13T03:30:25.860-05:00A refuge for the curious and the strong-minded. Just trying to make the world a better place, one article at a time...If you like what you see, bookmark this page or add it to your favorites.TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-2494380871904297292007-03-12T06:45:00.000-05:002007-03-12T06:53:27.172-05:00

Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice-President Dick Cheney, was convicted on four out of five counts of lying to FBI agents and obstruction of justice. The charges had arisen from the leaking of the name of a CIA agent to the press, in an attempt to discredit an opponent of the invasion of Iraq. Mr Libby's conviction added to the administration's growing embarrassment about

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-83657753042222046462007-03-12T06:37:00.000-05:002007-03-12T06:44:40.184-05:00

America's economy betrayed signs of slower growth. Labor costs rose and factory orders hit a six-year low, with orders for big-ticket items falling. Meanwhile, the government reported that productivity gains slowed, with an increase in the final quarter of 2006 of about half of what economists had previously expected. Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, said there is a “

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-74356583654929965722007-03-08T07:13:00.000-05:002007-03-08T07:19:28.293-05:00

From the March 7th, 2007 edition of the Wall Street Journal,By Amy SchatzHundreds of liberal activists are expected to pack the pews tonight at the Broad Street Presbyterian Church in Columbus, Ohio, to protest a Bush administration plan. It has nothing to do with Iraq. It is about rules governing how many properties media companies should be allowed to own in local markets.Kevin Martin, the

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-10882363363341858602007-03-05T07:26:00.000-05:002007-03-05T07:40:04.891-05:00

By Liz ClarkeWashington PostMEXICO CITY - NASCAR witnessed the birth of its next star in the most unlikely setting Sunday, as former Formula One ace Juan Pablo Montoya charged through the field at Mexico City's Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for a victory that even ticket-holders will have to see again on replay to fully believe.It wasn't simply that Montoya became the first Latin driver to win a

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-1654275570102156452007-03-02T07:40:00.000-05:002007-03-02T07:48:58.352-05:00

In a shift of policy the Bush administration said it would take part in a regional meeting this month organized by Iraq's government, even though Iran and Syria would take part too. See article The Iraqi government said its main factions had at last agreed to a draft law on how to regulate the oil industry and share out its revenue, though some final touches had still to be made. The five

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Stockmarkets around the world fell precipitously on February 27th, sparked by a drop of 8.8% in the Shanghai Composite Index, which was triggered by a threat of tighter regulation on trading—later withdrawn. As investors in Asia and Europe took fright, American markets also digested comments from Alan Greenspan, the former head of the Federal Reserve, concerning a possible recession, as well as

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-14445495046899856192007-02-23T07:37:00.000-05:002007-02-23T07:46:24.521-05:00

Italy's prime minister, Romano Prodi, tendered his resignation after only nine months in office. He did so after a mutiny in his sprawling coalition led to the defeat in the Senate of government proposals to keep troops in Afghanistan. See article Tony Blair said the number of British troops in Iraq would fall from around 7,100 at present to around 5,500 in the next few months, but that a

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-38915916163954620662007-02-23T07:26:00.000-05:002007-02-23T07:36:49.156-05:00

In a closely watched decision America's Supreme Court overturned punitive damages of $79.5m against Philip Morris that were handed down by a jury in 1999. The case centered on an Oregon man who had smoked for 42 years and died of lung cancer. The Supreme Court ruled that the jury's award to his widow had overstepped the mark by punishing the cigarette-maker for harm done to others, but it failed

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-48720491893760460592007-02-22T07:11:00.000-05:002007-02-22T07:22:34.822-05:00

The other week we alerted you about an urban music director in Chicago being arrested and fired from her job for allegedly taking payola in the form of a Porsche from a local artist. We promised to follow up that story with a more in-depth story/interview about payola and the state of urban/ Hip Hop radio.What you will be listening to is conversation that took place in Memphis, TN last month (

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-21996977260061869552007-02-21T07:34:00.000-05:002007-02-21T07:38:14.029-05:00

Once again, Congress is flirting with the idea of censoring violence on TV. Once again, its efforts are misguided. JUST WHAT, EXACTLY, constitutes a program that's too violent for kids to watch on TV? How about the story of a gun-blasting bounty hunter destroying a neighborhood as he tries to kill or capture his nihilistic offspring? That, after all, is what one sees in

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-51174470392935842042007-02-19T07:24:00.000-05:002007-02-19T07:29:58.516-05:00

A new We Media/Zogby Interactive poll has found that most Americans think blogging and "citizen journalism" will prove vital to journalism in the future.The national survey of 5,384 adults found that 55% thought blogging was an important aspect of American journalism in the future, while 74% said they believed amateur "citizen" reporters would play a key role.When asked about the impact of the

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-4374227135015930532007-02-16T07:41:00.000-05:002007-02-16T07:51:13.266-05:00

After tense talks in Beijing, North Korea,which in October tested a nuclear weapon, promised to shut down its main nuclear reactor in return for fuel aid. The talks, involving America, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea, also led to an agreement to resume ministerial talks between the two Koreas, and to take steps towards normalizing America's relations with North Korea. But the agreement makes

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-82334017187126640162007-02-16T07:35:00.000-05:002007-02-16T07:41:46.712-05:00

A cost-cutting program at Chrysler was unveiled. The troubled carmaker made an operating loss of $1.4 billion last year and now more than 13,000 jobs are to go. Chrysler's parent company, DaimlerChrysler, said it could find partners for its North American division, but a sale was not ruled out either. See article The European Court of Justice's advocate-general rejected the German law protecting

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-44204660393484453252007-02-15T06:51:00.000-05:002007-02-15T07:10:10.337-05:00

Advertising on your cellphone?Yes, and soon.Already, ads are creeping onto cellphones around the globe. At this rate, experts say, it will not be long before the 2.2 billion mobile phone users around the world consider it natural to tune into a 15-second spot before watching a video, sending a message or listening to a downloaded song between phone conversations.Or so they hope.“This is the year

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-62923045621471806162007-02-14T06:37:00.000-05:002007-02-14T06:46:17.114-05:00

Arthur Sulzberger Jr., the publisher of the New York Times, has taken some flack for sounding a bit glum about the prospects for print journalism at the World Economic Conference, held last month in Davos.On Feb. 8, the newspaper Ha'aretz quoted Mr. Sulzberger thusly, responding to a question about whether the Times will still be printed on paper in five years:"I really don't know whether we'll

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-12252951733276041742007-02-13T07:29:00.000-05:002007-02-13T07:33:51.291-05:00

There is a saying that gauges how well our nation is providing equal rights and opportunities to all citizens: You can’t just talk the talk; you must walk the walk.Often, the “walks” that make major improvements happen far from the spotlight. These are true examples for success in our democratic experiment.Recently, the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC), Clear Channel

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-44279854821719832912007-02-09T07:03:00.000-05:002007-02-09T07:15:22.304-05:00

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose job it is to try to assess what is happening to the atmosphere, published its fourth scientific report on February 2nd. It concluded, in terms somewhat stronger than the third report, that things are indeed getting hotter, and that mankind is, indeed, to blame. What to do about it will be addressed in other reports to be published later this

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-2709750285689794172007-02-09T06:48:00.000-05:002007-02-09T07:01:37.092-05:00

Vornado Realty Trust withdrew its bid for Equity Office Properties, leaving the way clear for shareholders in America's largest real-estate investment trust to accept Blackstone Group's offer of $38.9 billion. The transaction sets a new record for a leveraged buy-out, underscoring the relentless takeover of public companies by private-equity firms. See article Blackstone Group was one of four

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-8519728441467204152007-02-08T07:33:00.000-05:002007-02-08T07:40:00.646-05:00

US papers are closing foreign bureaus to save money. That's the wrong move. PROVO, UTAH - It used to be that the state of the economy determined the outcome of national elections in the United States. "The economy, stupid," was the memorable injunction from political adviser James Carville to Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign team. But now it is international

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-89372171688404198242007-02-07T07:40:00.000-05:002007-02-07T07:43:36.878-05:00

U.S. parents are more worried about the amount of time their kids spend watching television or meeting friends on Internet social networks than about sex or alcohol abuse, according to a new study.The study was released on Monday by Insight Research Group and commissioned by Common Sense Media, a San Francisco-based group that studies the impact of media on kids.Some 57 percent of 1,138 U.S.

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-7304752895695249452007-02-06T07:50:00.000-05:002007-02-06T07:58:51.863-05:00

America's blacks have growing political clout. They need to use it to confront some difficult questionsIT IS hard to remember a time when black America has been in such a prime political position. Barack Obama is the first black candidate to have a serious chance of winning the presidency (latest polls show him beating both John McCain and Rudy Giuliani in a head-to-head contest). And even if

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-23761235939556959782007-02-05T07:26:00.000-05:002007-02-05T07:38:32.671-05:00

Scores of Iraqi Shias were killed by Sunni insurgent bombs and mortars during the Shias' main religious festival, Ashura, while tit-for-tat killings in Baghdad and elsewhere continued. Earlier, near the Shias' holy city of Najaf, American and Iraqi troops fought an advancing force of a breakaway Shia sect, killing at least 260 of them. The newly appointed overall American commander of troops

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-29894242731310476782007-02-05T07:16:00.000-05:002007-02-05T07:40:51.380-05:00

The New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange announced an alliance. The partnership covers trading-systems technology, investor services and regulation and is the latest expansive move into foreign markets by the NYSE, which is acquiring Euronext and recently took a stake in India's National Stock Exchange. For Japan's biggest stockmarket, the pact should help boost market

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-935047669158646342007-01-30T07:47:00.000-05:002007-01-31T06:51:50.318-05:00

When a blogger revealed this week that Microsoft wanted to pay him to fix purported inaccuracies in technical articles on Wikipedia, the software company endured online slams and a rebuke from the Web encyclopedia's founder for behaving unethically.The imbroglio will soon pass, but it raises a bigger question: Why is it so bad to pay someone to write something on Wikipedia?The "free encyclopedia

TestedFanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05187041876006971379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2621882294368902054.post-79338087737769140372007-01-29T07:26:00.000-05:002007-02-09T07:16:09.929-05:00

Thanks to my wife and father-in-law, I was reintroduced to the beautiful music created by the Argentinian folk group known as Los Chalchaleros.Curious about their history, I Googled them found some interesting tidbits. Originally from the province of Salta, four youngsters in the Sociedad Rural (Victor Jose "Choco" Zambrano, Carlos Franco "Pelusa" Sosa, Aldo "El Chivo" Saravia, & Juan Carlos "El

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