Internet Explorer 6 finally nearing extinction
June 3, 2010Check out this very cool link: Web Design
According to internet analytics organization StatCounter, Microsoft’s Web Explorer 6 is now really a relic of the past with much less than 5 percent market share within the U.S. and Europe.
For many years, IE6 caused headaches for developers and prompted numerous users to switch to choice browsers. It had been full of security holes, and it broke nearly every internet regular in the book.
Because it had been the default browser on many Windows machines, it was also the dominant browser in the early aughts, reaching 90 percent marketplace share in 2002 and 2003.
Unfortunately, it outstayed its welcome by a great 5 many years, maintaining a solid chunk of the marketplace write about even after Internet Explorer 7 and 8 were released.
Now, StatCounter’s numbers, dependent on an analysis of 15 billion page views in May 2010, indicate that IE6 usage within the U.S. has fallen to 4.7 percent from 11.five percent in the last 12 months, meaning that IE6 is finally becoming a footnote in the history of the net.
As far as other internet browsers go, IE8 holds 30.49 % marketplace share within the U.S., followed by Firefox three.6 with 19.85 percent and IE7 with 16.64 % market write about.
Coming soon in Web video: Googlers bearing gifts
SAN FRANCISCO Fellow journalists, it’s past time to retire the conventional description of Google: “the Mountain View, Calif., Web-search firm.”
If that wasn’t clear prior to, it should be apparent following this week’s Google I/O conference right here, dominated by a series of ambitious initiatives in such non-search markets as Web movie and television software program.
But in another sense, this week’s announcements represented Search engines as usual. They fit into an old template: giving away a service or software program that other companies charge for, frequently in inferior forms. Google’s reward is more people spending more time online, and therefore a larger marketplace for its Web ads.
Users just have to decide regardless of whether every Search engines providing performs as advertised, justifies exposing some of their data and, progressively, merits spending still more of the lives in Google’s globe.
This week, Google’s most-rewarding gift might be a Internet video format that may end a prolonged and sometimes pointless squabble over how we observe Television and movie clips on the internet.
Adobe’s broadly installed Flash Player owns that market these days. But its efficiency and security problems have left it widely unloved, and it doesn’t work in most cellular products these days.
Till Wednesday, that solution looked to be a commercial format called H.264 that’s free of charge for most individuals to use but may not be following 2015. As a outcome, the second most-popular browser, Mozilla Firefox, won’t perform H.264.
Google’s answer was to donate a movie format known as VP8 under open-source, royalty-free terms, then combine that using the open-source Vorbis audio format into a new WebM multimedia regular.
Chrome, Firefox and Opera will assistance this; Microsoft’s Web Explorer and Apple’s Safari won’t, but because Adobe’s Flash Player will also perform WebM content, the opposition of Microsoft and Apple may not matter, nor may WebM possibly performing slightly worse than H.264. But iPhone and iPad users may find themselves cut away from a growing share of video.
Then there’s Google Television, its new software to connect the Television with the Internet. When it ships this fall on Sony HDTVs and Blu-ray players and a Logitech set-top box, it ought to let you find points to observe — on cable, satellite or the internet — with far more ease than traditional plan guides.
Because it runs Google’s Chrome Internet browser, with Flash included, it should play almost any online video (although websites such as the progressively obstructionist Hulu could block Google Television). And simply because it is Android underneath, it can run numerous Android apps.
Considering other firms’ clumsy or apathetic efforts — such as Apple’s neglected Apple Tv — the marketplace needs somebody to wake points up. Google could perform the same constructively disruptive role here that it did in Web-mail.
Google also unveiled a major update to its Android operating program. This Android 2.two release — called “Froyo,” short for “frozen yogurt,” as component of Google’s habit of naming Android releases following desserts — consists of a lengthy list of features on numerous Android users’ wish lists.
For instance, Google says Froyo runs individual Android apps from two to five occasions quicker than Android 2.1, or Eclair. Internet pages ought to also feel snappier, thanks to better JavaScript support; in one of many jabs at Apple, a demonstration showed a Froyo phone outrunning an iPad in a benchmark test.
Froyo will also consist of Adobe’s Flash player. If this software program does not extract a cost in efficiency or battery existence, it will give Android a brand new benefit more than Apple’s iPhone — Apple chief executive Steve Jobs has publicly banned Flash from its cellular products.
Even should you like your iPhone, you should appreciate Apple’s phone obtaining stronger competition from Android. Apple has exceptionally fixed suggestions about what people want inside a phone, and the most effective examine to its control-freak instincts is a compelling alternative in the market.
I’m less enthused by Google’s third major customer product introduction, its Chrome Shop. The concept at the rear of this Web storefront, to become integrated into its Chrome browser later this year, is to make it as simple to get Internet applications as it would be to add software program to an Android device or iPhone.
But the world wide web already provides capable tools to discover Web apps: search, links and bookmarks.
I am much more enthusiastic about seeing what developers can cook up utilizing the web standards Google promoted on the very first day with the conference. The graphically enriched, interactive Web edition of Sports Illustrated demonstrated throughout that morning’s keynote ought to appear and function as nicely in Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple’s Safari and Opera Software’s eponymous browser. (The weak standards compliance of Microsoft’s Web Explorer leaves it at the rear of; the fact that Search engines was comfortable brushing aside IE speaks to Microsoft’s crumbling relevance on the world wide web.)
But Google I/O also supplied a helpful reminder that Google’s latest gifts rely on network machinery that can seize up. Both keynotes had been interrupted repeatedly by wireless bugs; several occasions throughout Thursday’s event, presenters asked individuals within the audience to shut away Bluetooth wireless on their phones to free up the airwaves.
Keep that cringe-inducing exhibit of technological frailties in mind before you order one of everything off Google’s menu.
Chandi’s web pals hit 4,000
BRITAIN’S Got Talent superdog Chandi doubled her Facebook pals to 4,000 after winning the semi-final.
The dancing collie and owner Tina Humphrey sailed into the final on Tuesday night.
And Tina, who set up rescue dog Chandi’s Facebook account following their first audition, said: “I thought I had lots of friends at 1,000 but the dog globe is really a very sociable one.
“Chandi got 2,000 overnight taking her to 4,000. I was up until 3am reading messages.
“The support is just incredible. I wish to use her popularity to urge people to assist other rescue dogs.”
Steve Jobs Apple iPad will not save journalism
At the All Points D Conference on Tuesday, Steve Jobs was asked the now all-too-familar question: “Will the iPad save journalism.” Rather than chuckle or make the All Points D interviewers Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher appear stupid, Jobs gave an solution that was essentially feeding them catnip. Work mentioned:Charlie Sheen’s iPad will have a whole lot more than Old Media apps
In the All Points D Conference on Tuesday, Steve Jobs was asked the now all-too-familar question: “Will the iPad conserve journalism.” Instead of chuckle or make the All Things D interviewers Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher look stupid, Work gave an answer that was basically feeding them catnip. Work said:
We have lots of goals for it, but one of my beliefs very strongly is that any democracy depends on a free, wholesome press…I think we need editorial now much more than ever,” he said. One way to overcome the economic hurdle is for people to pay for content material, he added, and the iPad offers a way to have applications instead of just static web pages.”
Those statements prove Steve Jobs himself is so in love with his elegant creation the iPad, he thinks it can stop a tidal wave and maintain Charlie Sheen out of jail. The comments in the All Things D Conference also prove that Steve Work is old. He doesn’t really realize how much culture has changed because of the advent of the internet, demographic change, and web economics. All of this and Steve himself is still feeding the same monster that’s eating the press as this is written. All of this was evident to me in the Tech Crunch Disrupt Conference last ween in New York City, as I was talking to a WIRED Magazine representative about their new iPad app. All with the iPads were adjusted such that it looked as if the machine was just for WIRED. It looked like an electronic version of the magazine. But when you pressed the appropriate control, the WIRED content material went away and its app was in a sea of other iPad apps about the screen.
All iPad apps face the exact same life fate: individuals get excited about them, the app is hot, it builds a following, then its utilized, and as it’s, other apps are produced to compete against it, so it eventually becomes used much less and less and just one of a sea of apps about the machine.
And Aged Media expects to survive in that procedure? That’s silly. Additionally, and to rub salt in the wound this blogger produced, appropriate since Steve Jobs quipped that he didn’t wish to “see us descend into a nation of bloggers,” WIRED had not figured out how you can cost their iPad app to reflect content changes, according towards the rep I talked to.
The WIRED iPad app’s cost doesn’t include update pricing because WIRED had not figured out how you can do that as of this writing.
OK. So lets’ say they did figure it out. Here’s my query: how do you notify the user and get that individual to pay again for the WIRED content with the exact same energy they did so (assuming they do) when the app was very first released? Just saying they’ll may be the stuff of fools. The Program Dynamics of web and mobile user behavior is they won’t.
Why does an iPad media app have to be a paid affair? Why can’t a media company make a free app, stuff it with adds by sponsors, and promote the hell out of it? That would harm the “paywall” apps like WIRED’s, reducing their potential revenue and causing the app to get lost in that sea of icons I referred to.
Then, what’s to stop well-liked bloggers or any blogger from having their own free iPad app? Nothing. Following a time, the exact same System Dynamics of Internet choice, click demand, and oversupply of options will conspire to wreck Aged Media dreams that the iPad will conserve it.
And also the same bloggers Steve Work appears to discount will end up taking over his beloved iPad.
Stay tuned.
Chrome OS Strives to Replace Desktop Culture
Google’s Chrome Os is coming to some netbook near you sometime later this year. The Web-centric, Linux-based, open source platform will provide a lightweight, cost-effective alternative running system for portable computing. Eventually, Google plans to expand the scope of Chrome Os to take on Windows about the desktop as well–a goal that demands both a solid operating program and a significant culture shift.
Chrome is essentially a Internet browser as an operating system. A media player app is going to be included that will facilitate offline music play and photo viewing, but aside from that the platform is designed to operate exclusively in the cloud and take advantage with the vast portfolio of services from Google.
The running system appears perfect for the netbook crowd, or possibly even as a platform for tablet devices to compete with Apple’s iPad. Netbooks and tablets usually lack CD or DVD drives and also the smaller hard drive sizes with the diminutive portable laptops seem geared for storing only the core Operating system components. An open source running program that may reduce expenses and make the hardware into more of instant-on, cloud-based device may be welcome among the netbook crowd.
The Chrome Os may also supply a solid option for a tablet Operating system. Apple has built the iPad on the iPhone cellular Operating system, HP is building the Hurricane on Palm’s WebOS mobile Operating system, and the Dell Streak is built on Google’s Android cellular Os. There’s demand, though, for a tablet that is much more like a desktop and less like a smartphone. It remains to be seen if Windows 7 could be nimble sufficient to satisfy in the tablet market, but the Chrome Os seems to comfortably straddle between cellular Os and desktop OS–a potentially ideal position to get a tablet Operating system.
But, what of Google’s aspirations to usurp the crown of desktop dominance from Microsoft? Assuming that the Chrome Os lives up to expectations and offers a polished, capable encounter, there is still a long method to go prior to a Web-centric Os can even begin to replace the traditional desktop operating program (a.k.a. Windows).
Look, the Mac operating system may be available because 1984 and has only 5 % with the Os market. Linux may be around because 1991–or 1994 if you wish to begin counting from the 1.0 release, yet Linux in all of its varieties has barely more than one percent with the running system marketplace. Can we truly expect Chrome to knock Microsoft off its pedestal any time soon when two very capable running systems have been barely capable to scratch the surface following 20 years?
At its heart, Chrome is just an additional version of Linux. Nevertheless, the Google brand carries a lot of consumer clout. It is respected. It’s trusted. Businesses and consumers alike are a lot more most likely to adopt a Linux variant with the Yahoo and google stamp of approval, so it has that going for it. But, Apple is also respected, and trusted, and has a strong and loyal following…and 5 % of the market.
Many little and medium companies are already invested in Yahoo and google. They rely on Gmail for messaging, Yahoo and google Docs for office productivity, Yahoo and google Voice for communicating, and Google Wave and/or Yahoo and google Buzz for collaborating and social networking. Chrome will work nicely for them.
Many organizations, though, are reluctant to put that much faith within the cloud. You will find availability and security concerns. Many companies will need to address the compliance issues associated with trusting personal info, and sensitive or confidential data to third-party providers for example Google. You will find some hurdles to overcome before the desktop lifestyle can be abandoned totally.
What Chrome needs in order to compete with, or replace Windows as the desktop standard is a complete culture shift. Chrome most likely won’t be any more successful than Mac or Linux in fighting Windows on its own turf, but as the culture continues to evolve to some much more mobile, much more cloud-based model, it plays to Chrome’s strengths and arguably puts Windows on the defensive to scramble and adapt.
AT&T to end unlimited wireless data plans
The era of unlimited wireless data, which fed the growing lust for the iPhone and other smart devices, is coming to an end.
AT&T announced Wednesday that its $30 unlimited monthly data plan will no longer be available for new smart phone accounts starting Monday, the day Apple is expected to unveil its next generation iPhone.
Most industry analysts believe AT&T’s decision presages a wave of similar actions by competitors Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile, all of whom declined to comment.
Unlimited data has helped fuel the growth of mobile applications that allow people to do everything from sharing photos of their meal while at a restaurant to listening to streaming music while out jogging or watching YouTube videos during the commute.
While AT&T is framing its new tiered data plans as more choices for price-conscious consumers, its move is partly motivated by the toll heavy users were taking on its groaning wireless network. AT&T executives have said as much in recent months, hinting that metered pricing was inevitable.
Two new tiers
In place of the unlimited plan, AT&T is offering two tiers priced at $15 and $25 a month that will provide monthly data usage of 200 megabytes and 2 gigabytes, respectively. Users who go over their limit will need to pay another $15 for 200 more MB a month for the less-expensive plan or $10 more for another GB in the $25 a month plan.
New iPad 3G customers will also have to adopt the new pricing tiers instead of the $30 unlimited data plan.
“We’ve been thinking for some time we need a new, fresh approach to how we price wireless data services,” said AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel. “We came to the conclusion that one-size-fits-all doesn’t make sense; it forces people into a mold that may not apply to them.”
Verizon Wireless Chief Technology Officer Anthony Melone said in a recent interview that plans offering “as much data as you can consume is the big issue that has to change.”
The new prices won’t make a big difference immediately for AT&T users. In fact, the company says, it will save most users money. AT&T said that 98 percent of its subscribers use less than 2 GB per month. And existing data users won’t be forced into the new plan unless they sign a new contract.
But for some, especially in the gadget-obsessed Bay Area, the changes mark the end of an era and introduce the kind of billing uncertainty long associated with cell phone voice plans.
“I understand what AT&T is doing, but I will be in danger of going over,” said Sam Johnson, an AT&T customer from San Francisco. “I surf on my iPhone, get e-mails with attachments, I tweet and Facebook. It’s a lot of data.”
Some application providers said they are not too concerned about the new limits.
Internet radio service Pandora, based in Oakland, said the data limits will affect less than 1 percent of users.
The new prices will “hurt a super small number of heavy users, but otherwise, it’ll actually increase our users because it’s a discount,” said Tim Westergren, founder of Pandora.
Lots of users
It’s fitting that AT&T is first to adopt tiered pricing. The company has more smart phone users than any other carrier and has seen data use rise by 5,000 percent in the last three years. Siegel said 3 percent of AT&T customers account for 40 percent of the use.
Tiered pricing is a return of sorts to an earlier time when carriers priced data by the kilobyte. But when 3G networks were built in 2005 and 2006, network operators began offering unlimited data plans to attract customers.
The iPhone, which was introduced in 2007, spawned a new class of media-centric smart phones that consumed much more data, forcing carriers to keep up.
“The carriers’ wishes have come true,” said J. Gerry Purdy, an analyst with MobileTrax. “People are using the networks more because of the devices, the ease of use and social networking. Now it’s far outstripped capacity, and they’re trying to deal with it by clamping down.”
Mike Graziadei, a 50-year-old salesman for GE Capital, said he prefers unlimited plans because it eliminates any surprises. But he said he’s interested in researching the new tiers to see if it’s worth switching from his current carrier to AT&T.
“It comes down to whatever’s cheapest,” he said.
But some consumer groups complain that the tiers may punish customers as data use increases. M. Chris Riley, a policy counsel at media reform nonprofit group Free Press, said unless the tiers evolve over time, the thresholds could be reached by more and more users.
“We have more and more people on wireless networks using more video and high-bandwidth applications,” Riley said. “Today’s heavy user is tomorrow’s average user.”
Managing growth
Riley said the price change also allows AT&T to skimp on network improvements instead of investing to meet demand.
But John Walls, vice president of public affairs for CTIA, the wireless industry’s association, said establishing pricing tiers is one legitimate way for carriers to manage the explosive growth in data usage. Wireless data revenue has increased from $8.5 billion in 2005 to $41.5 billion last year.
He said that while operators are waiting for the FCC to free up more wireless spectrum, they need other tools to manage their networks.
“This is one of the measures that carriers are considering to make sure everyone has a fair and equal experience,” Walls said.
New data plans for smart devices
AT&T will stop offering unlimited wireless data for $30 per month. Current customers may keep that plan, but new customers will have to pick one of two new plans:
The DataPlus plan: $15 per month for 200 megabytes of data. If you go over, 200 more MB costs another $15. AT&T says this plan will suffice for people who surf the Web, send e-mail and use applications like Facebook. Data allowance: enough for 1,000 e-mails, 400 Web pages, the posting of 50 photos on social-networking sites and 20 minutes of streaming video.
The DataPro plan: $25 per month for 2 gigabytes of data (10 times more than DataPlus). If you go over, one more GB will cost an additional $10. AT&T says 98 percent of smart phone users use less than 2 GB. Data allowance: enough for 10,000 e-mails, 4,000 Web pages, the posting of 500 photos on social media and 200 minutes of streaming video.
Note: Prices are in addition to the voice plan, which is at least $40 per month, plus taxes and fees that vary by jurisdiction. Data use over Wi-Fi does not count toward the limits.
‘Community’ star Donald Glover taps the Web for Spider-Man campaign
Ah, the almighty Web. Is there any limit to its power? A wink of its eye turns a pint-size Canadian into a pop phenom. A twitch of its tail gets an 88-year-old lady on SNL. And now, it’s putting its muscle behind another delightfully random campaign straight out of Hollywood Mad Libs: Giving Community star Donald Glover a shot at playing Spider-Man in the upcoming franchise reboot.
It all started last Friday, when the eminent Marc Bernardin of io9 (and prior to that, EW) responded to Spider-Man 4 casting rumors with a blog post titled “The last point Spider-Man ought to be is an additional white guy.” Two days later Glover himself tweeted a link to the post, christening the movement with its own hashtag, #donald2spiderman. Then his fans retweeted it. Then he blogged it. Now he’s planning an all-out assault on Twitter at 9:30pm ET tonight, hoping to push his cause up through the muck and murmur with the Internet, all the way towards the ears of Sony, the studio behind the Spidey reboot.
Of course, Glover says he isn’t asking for the role on a silver platter. “Some people are mistaken,” he tweeted yesterday. “I do not want to just be given the role. I want to be able to audition. I really love Spider-Man.”
Fans of Community are certain to become on Team Glover here, provided the comic’s knack for scene-stealing on the show. But what do you all believe, PopWatchers? Could Glover really make the jump from Web trend to internet slinger? Does he deserve a shot at the part? And do you believe he’d truly make a good Spidey?
Bulls fan’s billboard: Come on down, LeBron
Bulls fans have wooed NBA free-agent-to-be LeBron James with songs and videos. Even President Barack Obama has mentioned the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar would make a great addition at the United Center.
But, as can be observed high above LaSalle Street and Grand Avenue, some Bulls fans have gone a step further.
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“Chicago wants LeBron,” is printed on the billboard in big bold letters. “Unfinished business,” it continues, alluding to the possibility of a seventh Bulls championship with James about the team.
AJ Barthold, 28, said he and a group of friends were able to raise $1,750 through his Web website, SendLeBrontochicago.com, sufficient to pay for the billboard’s placement for two weeks.
The Web developer, who says he’s been a die-hard Bulls fan since his boyhood days in Logan Square, now lives in New Jersey — enemy territory, he acknowledges, as the New Jersey Nets are also considered a contender for James’ services.
Other cities have held parades, created songs and offered gifts to try to entice James. Barthold deemed their efforts “rather weak” compared with Chicago’s.
If the billboard doesn’t work, Barthold’s Web website — which includes links to a letter-writing campaign, ways to volunteer and a “die-hard-fans-only” corner — makes a “logical” argument for James to choose the Windy City.
Sure, Chicago isn’t as close to James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio, as Cleveland is, Barthold mentioned. But James has mentioned his favorite team growing up was the Bulls, and he’s been seen within the past wearing a Michael Jordan jersey.
Plus, Chicago has quality players to construct around in Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, a tradition of championships and an unwavering fan base.
Even in New Jersey.
“I don’t know where we’re going with this,” Barthold acknowledged. “We’re just having fun.”
Still he hopes James’ childhood memories of being a Bulls fan will bring him house.
“That’s powerful stuff should you yearn for the past,” he mentioned. “Maybe we’ll hit a warm spot with LeBron.”
HP: Palm buy not about smartphones
When Hewlett-Packard ponied up $1.2 billion for struggling smartphone maker Palm, the move was widely seen as a fast way for the PC and enterprise services company to obtain into the burgeoning mobile device marketplace.
Not so, HP CEO Mark Hurd mentioned Wednesday. At the Bank of America Merrill Lynch technology conference, Hurd mentioned his organization has broader plans.
He told the audience that HP did not “spend billions of dollars trying to go into the smartphone business; that doesn’t in any way make any sense,” according to a ZDNet report.
We didn’t buy Palm to be in the smartphone business. And I tell people that, but it doesn’t seem to resonate well. We bought it for that IP. The WebOS is one with the two ground-up pieces of software that is built as a Web operating atmosphere…We have tens of millions of HP small form factor Web-connected devices…Now imagine that being a Web-connected atmosphere where now you are able to get a typical look and feel and a typical set of providers laid against that environment. That is a really value proposition.
From the moment HP said it was acquiring Palm, the company has been quick to point out Palm’s appealing IP portfolio, and has talked mostly about its plans for WebOS, which so far consist of a tablet and Web-connected printers. Not until Wednesday had anyone at HP so vehemently downplayed the smartphone part of the equation, which certainly begs the question of what HP plans to do with Palm’s hardware company.
Seattle NOAA staff taking the spill to the Web
Between tracking the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, helping guide cleanup crews and testing oysters for contamination, scientists at Seattle’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration office also have developed a new web site that will help the public and officials monitor progress and damage as the oil continues to spread.
A version of GeoPlatform.gov is being tested. The official version will be unveiled next week, said Amy Merten, chief of the spatial information team at NOAA’s Seattle-based Emergency Response Division.
The site isn’t ready for prime time, Merten cautioned. When it is, it will show the path the oil slick is likely to follow, share zoomable satellite pictures and supply data on biologically sensitive areas at risk, she told U.S. Sen. Patty Murray during a briefing Tuesday on NOAA’s nearby oil-spill efforts.
Experts at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center have analyzed about 300 samples of fish, oysters and shrimp collected prior to the spill, division Director Walton Dickhoff said. Baseline information will be compared against samples collected following the oil moves in, to assist choose when it is safe to reopen fishing, he said.
Local NOAA staffers’ highest-profile task is projecting where the oil slick will go. They rely on satellite pictures, weather forecasts, ocean-current information and personal computer models, coordinator Doug Helton mentioned.
The team was criticized for its early estimate that at least 84,000 gallons of oil each day were rushing from the ruptured well. BP’s very first estimate was 42,000 gallons.
The 84,000 figure was dependent about the amount of oil visible about the surface and never was meant to be regarded the definitive number, Helton mentioned.
A team of federal scientists last week reviewed aerial photos and images from the underwater gusher, coming up having a more accurate estimate of 504,000 to 798,000 gallons each day.
Murray reiterated her call to rewrite the law that caps liability for spills at $75 million, recalling how Exxon battled in court to reduce damages paid to fishermen after the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill.
“Large pockets and large attorneys have the capability to outlast fishermen,” she said.
The Web Reacts to Hatoyama’s Resignation
Japan Real Time rounds up the best with the online reactions to Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s resignation:
Tobias Harris at Observing Japan claims that Hatoyama has no one to blame but himself, because of his inept handling with the Futenma issue. His successor will need to work quickly to fix the public’s growing dissatisfaction with the DPJ, Mr. Harris claims, ahead of what look like tricky Upper Home elections in around a month.
At Washington Note, Steve Clemons blames U.S. President Barack Obama for Hatoyama’s woes, saying the Japanese premier could not handle White House pressure over Futenma. Obama’s “icy treatment” of a key U.S. ally ultimately price Hatoyama his job, Clemons says.
Michael Cucek at Shisaku claims the Futenma issue will continue to be a thorn in the side of U.S.-Japan relations, as the next Prime Minister won’t wish to associate too closely having a deeply unpopular agreement that sunk Hatoyama’s assistance levels.
Meanwhile, in a post published before Hatoyama officially announced his resignation, Peter Ennis with the Oriental Economist writes that Hatoyama’s resignation will not automatically mean smoother relations using the U.S. But he also says that, with Hatoyama gone, the DPJ no longer faces a “nightmare scenario” at this summer’s Upper Home elections.
The Diplomat’s Japan blog claims that Hatoyama’s successor now faces an uphill battle without the support that his predecessor has “squandered.” “For those that had hoped for a a lot required fresh begin in Japanese politics after decades of virtually uninterrupted rule by the Liberal Democratic Party it’s a very dispiriting day,” it says.
But He Still Has the AP
Remember “accountability journalism”? As we noted in 2007, this was an Associated Press innovation created “to report whether government officials are doing the job for which they had been elected and keeping the promises they make.” It started in 2005 throughout Hurricane Katrina, and was exemplified by stories like these:
WASHINGTON (AP)–The Iraqi insurgency is in its last throes. The economy is booming. Anybody who leaks a CIA agent’s identity will be fired. Add another piece of White House rhetoric that doesn’t match the public’s view of reality: Help is on the way, Gulf Coast.
WASHINGTON (AP)–The fatally sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina unleashed a wave of anger that could transform people’s expectations of federal government, the qualities they look for in political leaders and their views of America’s class and racial divides. It’s a large opportunity that neither party seems poised to exploit.
Nearly five years later, we have a different president, facing a brand new crisis in the Gulf of Mexico following having promised in 2008 that his winning his party’s nomination will be “the moment when the rise with the oceans started to slow and our planet started to heal.” And how is the AP reporting whether he’s keeping that promise? Here’s a Saturday dispatch from the wire service’s Ben Feller:
President Barack Obama keeps reassuring the nation that stopping the Gulf oil spill and limiting the fallout about the region are his top priority.
Yet so is protecting the country towards attack. And obtaining people back to function.
Presidencies usually don’t allow to get a dominant priority–just a list of priorities. . .
Like presidents prior to him, Obama is getting to function through unforeseen problems: offshore drilling and an environmental disaster, mine safety, the earthquake in Haiti, piracy off the Somali coast. .
Obama’s ability to calmly handle numerous competing issues simultaneously is viewed as one of his strengths.
He has tried to let everyone know that what’s unfolding within the Gulf is much more than a momentary crisis. The spill, he mentioned Friday from Grand Isle, La., is nothing less than “an assault on our shores, on our individuals, about the regional economy, and on communities like this one.”
The president is also fond of saying he won’t rest until the issue at hand gets fixed. The difficulty is the fact that there’s always more difficulty.
Feller’s defense of Obama is not an unreasonable one. But a similar defense could are already written of President Bush in 2005. Similarly, one could effortlessly give Obama the Bush treatment, since the AP’s Jennifer Rubin does:
There is a point in a presidency when the public simply has had enough and tunes out, unwilling to listen even once the president says sensible points or has a reasonable point to make in his own defense. For George W. Bush, it had been Katrina. The question for Obama is how close to that point is he now, and will the next poor news week push him over the edge. .<br> .<br> .<br> So an oil spill that he experienced as a lot ability to prevent as George W. Bush did to stop Katrina from hitting shore has snared the president, who oversold himself and the energy of government. But the Joe Sestak scandal may be worse.
We didn’t fool you to get a second, did we? Rubin isn’t using the AP but with Commentary–which would be to say, she is an opinion writer who is relentless in finding fault with President Obama. Today, to discover the sort of “accountability journalism” the AP was practicing when Bush was president, you’ve to go to conservative websites.
Or, strangely sufficient, liberal newspapers. Unlike the AP, the New York Times’s disillusioned columnists aren’t creating excuses for Obama (a minimum of in the moment).<br> Here’s Maureen Dowd:
As well often it feels as though Barry is watching from a balcony, reluctant to enter the fray until the clamor with the crowd forces him to come down. The pattern is perverse. The man whose presidency is rooted in his ability to inspire withholds that inspiration when it’s most required. . . .
He seemed to tune out a bit after the exhausting battle more than wellness care, with the air of someone who says to himself: “Oh, man, that was a heavy lift. I’m taking a break.”
He’s spending the holiday weekend in Chicago when he ought to be commemorating Memorial Day right here with the families of troops killed in battle and with veterans at Arlington Cemetery.
Dowd suggests that Obama provide Bill Clinton “a cameo role as Feeler in Chief.” The lonely lives of New York Occasions columnists .<br> . .
Frank Rich is unhappy enough to title his column “Obama’s Katrina? Maybe Worse”:
Obama was elected as a progressive antidote to [Bush’s] discredited brand of governance. Of all of the president’s stated goals, none may be much more sweeping than his desire to prove that federal government is not always a hapless and intrusive bureaucratic assault on taxpayers’ patience and pocketbooks, but a potential force for great. . .<br> .
Like it or not, a pipe gushing poison into an ocean is really a visceral crisis demanding visible, immediate action.
Obama’s news conference on Thursday–explaining in detail the government’s response, its mistakes and its precise relationship to BP–was a minimum of three weeks overdue. It was also his first full news conference in 10 months. Obama’s recurrent tardiness in defining exactly what he wants done on a given issue–a lapse also evident within the protracted rollout of the White House’s particular health care priorities–remains baffling, as does his recent avoidance of news conferences. Such diffidence does not convey a J.F.K.-redux in charge of a neo-New Frontier activist government.
Long prior to Obama took office, the public was plenty skeptical that government could do anything right. Eight years of epic Bush ineptitude and waste only added to Washington’s odor. Now Obama is stuck between a rock along with a Tea Party. His credibility as a champion of reformed, competent federal government is held hostage by video in the gulf. And this in an election year once the very idea of a viable federal federal government is under angrier assault than at any time because the Gingrich revolution and militia mobilization of 1994-5 and arguably because the birth with the modern conservative movement in the 1960s.
To be certain, as Newsbusters.org notes, Rich also excoriates Bush, Dick Cheney, Rand Paul, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck. Still, if Obama has lost Frank Rich, he’s lost Middle America.
Then there’s Bill Maher, host of an HBO show, who had this to say in a video provided by RealClearPolitics.com:
I thought when we elected a black president, we had been going to get a black president. You know, this really is where I want a real black president. I want him in a meeting using the BP CEOs, you know, where he lifts up his shirt so you are able to see the gun in his pants. That’s–”we’ve got a m—–f—ing issue right here?”–and shoot somebody in the foot.
Those who’ve been desperately searching for racism in criticism of Obama have finally discovered it.
When ‘Peace Activists’ Attack
A flotilla organized by a Turkish Islamist group has failed in its attempt to break the naval blockade Israel and Egypt have imposed on the Gaza Strip. Styling themselves “peace activists” carrying humanitarian help, the Turks, joined by members of other anti-Israel groups, were invited by the Israelis to dock at Ashdod, an Israeli port, and unload their goods there for delivery to Gaza. When they refused, Israeli sailors boarded the boats.
According to YnetNews.com, the Israelis created a tactical error in assuming that “peace activists” would behave peacefully:
To their misfortune, [the Israeli commandos] had been only equipped with paintball rifles utilized to disperse minor protests, this kind of since the ones held in Bilin. The paintballs obviously made no impression on the activists, who kept on beating the troops up and even attempted to wrest away their weapons.
One soldier who came to the aid of a comrade was captured by the rioters and sustained severe blows. The commandoes were equipped with handguns but were told they should only use them within the face of life-threatening situations. When they came down in the chopper, they kept on shouting to each other “don’t shoot, don’t shoot,” even although they sustained several blows.
The Navy commandoes were prepared to mostly encounter political activists seeking to hold a protest, instead of trained street fighters. The soldiers had been told they were to verbally convince activists who provide resistance to give up, and only then use paintballs. They were permitted to use their handguns only under extreme circumstances.
This kind of circumstances having materialized, the Israelis did open fire, and nine of the so-called activists were killed.
Palestinian Media Watch notes that a day earlier, al-Jazeera experienced reported that the “peace activists” had been chanting: “Khaibar, Khaibar, oh Jews! The army of Muhammad will return!” Explanation:
Khaibar is the name with the last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad’s army in 628. Numerous Jews were killed in that battle, which marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia. There are Muslims who see that as a precursor to future wars towards Jews. At gatherings and rallies of extremists, this chant is often heard as a threat to Jews to expect to become defeated and killed again by Muslims.
Al-Jazeera also interviewed a woman who said that the flotilla participants’ goal was “one of two happy endings: either Martyrdom or reaching Gaza.”
Since the Washington Post reports, “Israel delivers about 15,000 tons of supplies and aid to Gaza every week.” Breaking the blockade was unnecessary to obtain humanitarian help to Gaza–but it is required if the terror group Hamas, which dominates the strip, is to become rearmed. These “peace activists” seek peace only in the Orwellian sense: “War is peace.”
Love Story
Lately the globe may be the only point that’s been warming within the Gore household, Politico reviews:
Al and Tipper Gore, whose playful romance enlivened Washington and also the campaign trail for a quarter century, have made the decision to separate after 40 years of marriage, the couple told friends Tuesday.
In an “Email from Al and Tipper Gore,” the couple said: “We are announcing today that after an excellent deal of believed and discussion, we’ve made the decision to separate.
”This is very a lot a mutual and mutually supportive choice that we’ve made together following a process of long and careful consideration. We ask for respect for our privacy and that of our family, and we don’t intend to comment further.”
Though we hear Al Gore now claims he and Tipper were the inspiration for “Kramer vs. Kramer.”
Columbus Discovers the Liquor Cabinet
“How an ‘honors inmate’ functioning at Gov. Ted Strickland’s residence in Bexley was capable to obtain enough alcohol to record a blood-alcohol degree more than 3 occasions the level at which an Ohioan is presumed drunk and need hospital care remains a mystery,” reviews the Columbus Dispatch:
Strickland suspended the program, pending an external review, following learning that two inmates functioning at the Residence, Nicholas Hoaja of Champaign County and Dallas Feazell of Clinton County, had been discovered to have been drinking Thursday.
Hoaja, 32, was transported to Ohio State University Medical Center on Thursday night following a doctor in the Pickaway Correctional Institution was concerned about the effects of his heavy alcohol consumption, mentioned Julie Walburn, a spokeswoman at the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
Walburn mentioned Hoaja’s blood-alcohol degree was 0.27 %; Ohio considers a person drunk at 0.08 %. Feazell, 47, had a blood-alcohol degree of 0.05 %, she said. . .
Many questions remain unanswered about how Hoaja and Feazell had been able to drink in the Residence despite intense scrutiny and inmate checks each and every thirty minutes. This comes in the wake of an inspector general’s report that concluded the program experienced “veered badly off course” within the Strickland administration.
Here’s a lead investigators might want to explore: The Dispatch story says Hoaja “had been functioning like a cook in the Residence.” Could it be that there was booze in the kitchen?
We Blame Global Warming
“Our Summer Will probably be Cooler . . Unless It is Not”–headline, Star Tribune (Minneapolis), May 30
Seeing as How She Squandered the Old One
“Pelosi Calls on Cornell Grads to ‘Build a new Prosperity’ “–headline, Ithaca (N.Y.) Journal, May 29
With DNC in Mind
“Toronto Police Warn of Feces Squirting Scam”–headline, Globe and Mail (Toronto), May 28
Life Imitates ‘The Simpsons’
* “Bart and Lisa go fishing downstream of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and Springfield Shopper reporter Dave Shutton pulls up just as Bart catches a three-eyed fish, which the media nicknames Blinky.”–Wikipedia.org episode summary, “Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Each and every Fish,” aired Nov. 1, 1990
* “Radioactive Fish near Vt. Nuke Plant Deemed Common”–headline, Associated Press, May 31, 2010
The Lonely Lives of Scientists
“Scientists Say Put More Nitrogen Into Milk, Not Manure”–headline, NewsroomAmerica.com, May 30
The Lonely Lives of Retired Professors
“Retired UConn Maritime Professor Dreams of Undersea Study Facility”–headline, Hartford Courant, June 1
Who Invaded Spain in the Eighth Century?
“If Looks Could Kill . Police Cover Murder Suspect’s ‘Moobs’ for the Sake of Public Decency”–headline, Daily Mail (London), May 30
Ray Bradbury, Call Your Office
“Bates College Awards Some 450 Degrees”–headline, Portland (Maine) Press Herald, May 30
What Do You Get When . .
“Man Crosses English Channel With Helium Balloons”–headline, Linked Press, May 28
If Your Monkey Has Ebola, We have Great Information
“New Ebola Drug 100 Percent Effective in Monkeys”–headline, Frederick (Md.) News-Post, May 29
It Ain’t Silent Once the Fat Lady Sings
“700-Hour Silent Opera Reaches Finale at MoMA”–headline, New York Times, May 31
Be Careful What You Wish For
“Fox Host Van Susteren Asks Blog Readers to Gauge Her Intelligence”–headline, Yahoo! Information, May 28
Questions Nobody Is Asking
* “Is That Hair Coming Out of Tailpipe?”–headline, Hartford Courant, May thirty
* “Is the President the Type of Leader Chairman Mao Warned Us About?”–headline, CommonDreams.com, May 28
* “What’s Green, Slimy and Good for You?”–headline, Sunday Telegraph (London), May 30
* “Are You Fighting Towards Your Personal Upliftment?”–headline, Puffington Host, May 31
* “Could These Lions Be as Good since the ’70s Steelers?”–headline, Detroit Free Press, May 31
* “Is Obama the New Cheney?”–headline, PowerLineBlog.com, May 29
Answers to Questions Nobody Is Asking
“What Obama Could Learn From Canada, Part Two”–headline, PowerLineBlog.com, May thirty
Dog Arrests Man–Now That Will be News
“N.Y. Guy Seeking Assist for Stray Dog Arrested on DWI Charges”–headline, Associated Press, May 30
Too Much Info
“Graphic: Kevin Costner’s Cleanup Solution”–headline, Los Angeles Occasions, May 21
News of the Tautological
“Scientists Are Skeptical”–headline, Hindustan Times, May 31
Information You are able to Use
“How to Shoot Someone From a Mile Away”–headline, New York Post, May 30
Bottom Stories with the Day
* “No Choice on Who Will Run Utah’s New High Risk Insurance Pool”–headline, Salt Lake Tribune, May 28
* “Pelosi Blames Bush Administration for BP Oil Spill”–headline, Washington Examiner, May 29
* “Quilt Fad Slow to Take Off in Black Hawk County”–headline, Waterloo/Cedar Falls (Iowa) Courier, May 31
* “Quit Facebook Day Doesn’t Go Viral”–headline, Canadian Press, May 31
Indian Jail Gets New Wing
Police in India “are holding a pigeon under armed guard after it had been caught on an alleged spying mission for arch rival and neighbour Pakistan,” reports Agence France-Presse:
The white-coloured bird was found by a local resident in India’s Punjab state, which borders Pakistan, and taken to a police station 40km from the capital Amritsar.
The pigeon experienced a ring around its foot along with a Pakistani phone number and address stamped on its body in red ink.
They also discovered a duck, which they suspect of spying for Quackistan.
D8: Facebook’s Zuckerberg Defends Privacy Strategy
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. - Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday insisted that privacy is really important to the social networking website, and defended Facebook’s approach, saying individuals use it to share information and to stay connected.
“Privacy is a really essential issue for us and for that Web,” Zuckerberg told the crowd here at the D8 conference. “We will continue to make the right modifications, even if a number of them are controversial.”
“There are some misperceptions that we wish to make all information open and that’s totally false,” he mentioned.
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Zuckerberg mentioned that some information - your address, phone number, postings on your wall - is designed for close friends only. Other things like photos are recommended to become shared with close friends of close friends. And some material, for example where you function, what schools you went to, and what region you live in, is important public data so people can get in touch with you - particularly if you have a more typical name.
Zuckerberg was repeatedly pressed by Wall Street Journal columnist and moderator Walt Mossberg on privacy, and Zuckerberg acknowledged that, over time, the site’s privacy settings had gotten as well complex. By adding new functions, Facebook accumulated dozens and dozens of settings, he mentioned, and required to create it easier. That was the objective with the recent modifications, he mentioned.
When asked how he felt about how he was being portrayed, Zuckerberg mentioned he has learned a lot since Facebook moved from his college dorm room to almost 500 million users. The large turning point, he mentioned, was when businesses started offering money for the organization. But he admitted they had created some mistakes, although he didn’t elaborate.
Regarding “instant personalization,” Zuckerberg said Facebook is different from most Web sites in that it is people-centric. He said although more than one million developers are now constructing applications close to Facebook, it needs to extend to other websites. About 200,000 websites have already began utilizing Facebook social plug-ins. But for sites that want to do much more detailed work, instant personalization lets websites like Pandora display information you’ve made accessible to friends of friends on its site. Zuckerberg noted that 100,000 websites used Facebook Connect, but that needed an additional click.
Extending applications beyond Facebook have prompted some of the recent privacy concerns, but Zuckerberg said his objective was to see apps that were created to become “people first.” Remaining inside Facebook is just too limiting, he mentioned.
The “social graph” is not something Facebook will own, but it is a map of how individuals connect online. It is mostly a way of thinking about the globe, he mentioned. Facebook will maintain creating changes, which will help advertising more relevant and also the websites much more engaging. Zuckerberg agreed that a number of these changes will be controversial, but he said the organization is focused on improving the user experience.
The most essential point for the company to complete is focus on constructing the website, he mentioned, noting that when he last appeared at the D conference two many years ago, Facebook had less than 100 million users and had not launched Facebook Connect. Zuckerberg expects even more changes in the next two years. Building the Internet close to individuals rather than close to links may be the large challenge, but Zuckerberg mentioned he believed that procedure is closer towards the beginning than the end.
At one point, the Journal’s Kara Swisher, also a moderator, talked Zuckerberg into removing his hoodie, which turned out to have Facebook’s slogan “Making the globe more open and connected” written on the inside.
Asked how he felt about an upcoming movie focusing about the early years of Facebook, Zuckerberg said he wished no one would make a movie about him although he was alive.
In answers to audience questions, he mentioned the company was working on a great deal of new points, but not a traditional Web client. Zuckerberg said he thought SMS and IM is much more important than e-mail for a great deal of individuals, and mentioned fusing short-form messages and status updates might be much more interesting.
Facebook is agnostic about the question of Flash vs. HTML5, but Zuckerberg mentioned that, in general, he preferred building Internet websites to constructing apps. He noted how when you signed into Facebook on devices like Android, it can import your friends into your address book and then that’s accessible by other applications. He mentioned it was still unclear which platforms would win, but believed there would be lots of various options, including Facebook Zero. But when pressed, Zuckerberg said he did expect that there would eventually be a Facebook application for iPad. He mentioned it takes a although because Facebook is still a little company with a lot of projects going on.
But He Still Has the AP
Remember “accountability journalism”? As we noted in 2007, this was an Linked Press innovation designed “to report whether federal government officials are doing the job for which they had been elected and keeping the promises they make.” It started in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina, and was exemplified by stories like these:
WASHINGTON (AP)–The Iraqi insurgency is in its last throes. The economy is booming. Anybody who leaks a CIA agent’s identity will probably be fired. Add another piece of White House rhetoric that doesn’t match the public’s view of reality: Help is about the way, Gulf Coast.
WASHINGTON (AP)–The fatally sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina unleashed a wave of anger that could transform people’s expectations of government, the qualities they seek in political leaders and their views of America’s class and racial divides. It’s a large chance that neither party seems poised to exploit.
Almost five many years later, we have a different president, facing a new crisis in the Gulf of Mexico following having promised in 2008 that his winning his party’s nomination would be “the moment once the rise of the oceans began to sluggish and our planet began to heal.” And how may be the AP reporting whether he’s keeping that promise? Here’s a Saturday dispatch in the wire service’s Ben Feller:
President Barack Obama keeps reassuring the nation that stopping the Gulf oil spill and limiting the fallout about the region are his top priority.
Yet so is protecting the country against attack. And getting people back to function.
Presidencies usually don’t allow for a dominant priority–just a list of priorities.
Like presidents before him, Obama is getting to work through unforeseen problems: offshore drilling and an environmental disaster, mine safety, the earthquake in Haiti, piracy off the Somali coast. ..
Obama’s capability to calmly handle many competing issues simultaneously is viewed as one of his strengths.
He has tried to let everyone know that what’s unfolding within the Gulf is more than a momentary crisis. The spill, he said Friday from Grand Isle, La., is nothing less than “an assault on our shores, on our individuals, on the regional economy, and on communities like this one.”
The president is also fond of saying he won’t rest until the issue at hand gets fixed. The difficulty is the fact that there’s usually more difficulty.
Feller’s defense of Obama is not an unreasonable one. But a similar defense could are already written of President Bush in 2005. Similarly, one could easily give Obama the Bush treatment, since the AP’s Jennifer Rubin does:
There’s a point inside a presidency when the public merely has had enough and tunes out, unwilling to listen even once the president says sensible things or has a reasonable point to make in his own defense. For George W. Bush, it had been Katrina. The question for Obama is how close to that point is he now, and will the next poor news week push him over the edge. . . . So an oil spill that he experienced as a lot ability to avoid as George W. Bush did to stop Katrina from hitting shore has snared the president, who oversold himself and the energy of federal government. But the Joe Sestak scandal may be worse.
We didn’t fool you to get a second, did we? Rubin isn’t with the AP but with Commentary–which would be to say, she is an opinion writer who is relentless in finding fault with President Obama. These days, to find the sort of “accountability journalism” the AP was practicing when Bush was president, you have to go to conservative web sites.
Or, strangely enough, liberal newspapers. Unlike the AP, the New York Times’s disillusioned columnists aren’t making excuses for Obama (at least at the moment).
As well often it feels as though Barry is watching from a balcony, reluctant to enter the fray till the clamor of the crowd forces him to come down. The pattern is perverse. The guy whose presidency is rooted in his capability to inspire withholds that inspiration when it is most required. . . .
He seemed to tune out a bit following the exhausting battle more than health care, using the air of someone who says to himself: “Oh, man, that was a heavy lift. I’m taking a break.”
He’s spending the holiday weekend in Chicago when he ought to be commemorating Memorial Day right here using the families of troops killed in battle and with veterans at Arlington Cemetery.
Dowd suggests that Obama provide Bill Clinton “a cameo role as Feeler in Chief.” The lonely lives of New York Occasions columnists . .
Frank Rich is unhappy enough to title his column “Obama’s Katrina? Maybe Worse”:
Obama was elected as a progressive antidote to [Bush’s] discredited brand of governance. Of all the president’s stated goals, none may be more sweeping than his desire to prove that federal government isn’t usually a hapless and intrusive bureaucratic assault on taxpayers’ patience and pocketbooks, but a potential force for great.
Like it or not, a pipe gushing poison into an ocean is really a visceral crisis demanding visible, immediate action.
Obama’s information conference on Thursday–explaining in detail the government’s response, its mistakes and its precise relationship to BP–was at least three weeks overdue. It had been also his first full information conference in 10 months. Obama’s recurrent tardiness in defining exactly what he wants done on a given issue–a lapse also evident in the protracted rollout with the White House’s particular wellness care priorities–remains baffling, as does his recent avoidance of information conferences. This kind of diffidence does not convey a J.F.K.-redux in charge of the neo-New Frontier activist government.
Long before Obama took office, the public was plenty skeptical that government could do anything correct. Eight many years of epic Bush ineptitude and waste only added to Washington’s odor. Now Obama is stuck between a rock and a Tea Party. His credibility as a champion of reformed, competent government is held hostage by video in the gulf. And this in an election year once the really idea of a viable federal government is under angrier assault than at any time because the Gingrich revolution and militia mobilization of 1994-5 and arguably because the birth with the modern conservative movement in the 1960s.
To become sure, as Newsbusters.org notes, Rich also excoriates Bush, Dick Cheney, Rand Paul, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck. Still, if Obama has lost Frank Rich, he’s lost Middle America.
Then there’s Bill Maher, host of an HBO show, who experienced this to say inside a video provided by RealClearPolitics.com:
I believed when we elected a black president, we had been going to obtain a black president. You know, this is exactly where I want a real black president. I want him in a meeting using the BP CEOs, you know, exactly where he lifts up his shirt so you are able to see the gun in his pants. That’s–”we’ve got a m—–f—ing problem right here?”–and shoot somebody within the foot.
Those who’ve been desperately searching for racism in criticism of Obama have finally discovered it.
When ‘Peace Activists’ Attack
A flotilla organized by a Turkish Islamist group has failed in its attempt to break the naval blockade Israel and Egypt have imposed on the Gaza Strip. Styling themselves “peace activists” carrying humanitarian aid, the Turks, joined by members of other anti-Israel groups, had been invited through the Israelis to dock at Ashdod, an Israeli port, and unload their goods there for delivery to Gaza. Once they refused, Israeli sailors boarded the boats.
According to YnetNews.com, the Israelis created a tactical error in assuming that “peace activists” would behave peacefully:
To their misfortune, [the Israeli commandos] were only equipped with paintball rifles used to disperse minor protests, this kind of since the ones held in Bilin. The paintballs obviously created no impression on the activists, who kept on beating the troops up and even attempted to wrest away their weapons.
One soldier who came to the aid of a comrade was captured through the rioters and sustained severe blows. The commandoes were equipped with handguns but had been told they should only use them within the face of life-threatening situations. When they came down from the chopper, they kept on shouting to each other “don’t shoot, don’t shoot,” even although they sustained several blows.
The Navy commandoes were prepared to mostly encounter political activists seeking to hold a protest, rather than trained street fighters. The soldiers had been told they were to verbally convince activists who offer resistance to give up, and only then use paintballs. They were permitted to use their handguns only under extreme circumstances.
This kind of circumstances having materialized, the Israelis did open fire, and nine of the so-called activists had been killed.
Palestinian Media Watch notes that a day earlier, al-Jazeera experienced reported that the “peace activists” were chanting: “Khaibar, Khaibar, oh Jews! The army of Muhammad will return!” Explanation:
Khaibar may be the name of the last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad’s army in 628. Many Jews were killed in that battle, which marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia. There are Muslims who see that as a precursor to future wars towards Jews. At gatherings and rallies of extremists, this chant is often heard as a threat to Jews to expect to be defeated and killed again by Muslims.
Al-Jazeera also interviewed a woman who mentioned that the flotilla participants’ goal was “one of two happy endings: either Martyrdom or reaching Gaza.”
As the Washington Post reports, “Israel delivers about 15,000 tons of supplies and aid to Gaza each and every week.” Breaking the blockade was unnecessary to obtain humanitarian help to Gaza–but it is necessary if the terror group Hamas, which dominates the strip, is to be rearmed. These “peace activists” look for peace only within the Orwellian sense: “War is peace.”
Love Story
Lately the globe is the only point that’s been warming within the Gore household, Politico reports:
Al and Tipper Gore, whose playful romance enlivened Washington and the campaign trail to get a quarter century, have made the decision to separate after 40 many years of marriage, the couple told friends Tuesday.
In an “Email from Al and Tipper Gore,” the couple said: “We are announcing today that after a great deal of thought and discussion, we’ve made the decision to separate.
”This is really a lot a mutual and mutually supportive choice that we have made together following a process of lengthy and cautious consideration. We ask for respect for our privacy and that of our family, and we don’t intend to comment further.”
Although we hear Al Gore now claims he and Tipper were the inspiration for “Kramer vs. Kramer.”
Columbus Discovers the Liquor Cabinet
“How an ‘honors inmate’ working at Gov. Ted Strickland’s residence in Bexley was able to obtain sufficient alcohol to record a blood-alcohol level more than 3 times the level at which an Ohioan is presumed drunk and need hospital care remains a mystery,” reviews the Columbus Dispatch:
Strickland suspended the program, pending an external review, following learning that two inmates working at the Residence, Nicholas Hoaja of Champaign County and Dallas Feazell of Clinton County, were discovered to have been drinking Thursday.
Hoaja, 32, was transported to Ohio State University Medical Center on Thursday night after a doctor at the Pickaway Correctional Institution was concerned about the effects of his heavy alcohol consumption, said Julie Walburn, a spokeswoman in the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
Walburn said Hoaja’s blood-alcohol degree was 0.27 percent; Ohio considers a person drunk at 0.08 %. Feazell, 47, experienced a blood-alcohol level of 0.05 %, she said. . . .<br>
Many questions remain unanswered about how Hoaja and Feazell were capable to drink at the Residence despite intense scrutiny and inmate checks each and every 30 minutes. This comes in the wake of an inspector general’s report that concluded the plan had “veered badly off course” within the Strickland administration.
Here’s a lead investigators might wish to explore: The Dispatch story says Hoaja “had been working as a cook at the Residence.” Could it be that there was booze in the kitchen?
We Blame Global Warming
“Our Summer Will probably be Cooler . Unless It is Not”–headline, Star Tribune (Minneapolis), May 30
Seeing as How She Squandered the Old One
“Pelosi Calls on Cornell Grads to ‘Build a new Prosperity’ “–headline, Ithaca (N.Y.) Journal, May 29
With DNC in Mind .
“Toronto Police Warn of Feces Squirting Scam”–headline, Globe and Mail (Toronto), May 28
Life Imitates ‘The Simpsons’
* “Bart and Lisa go fishing downstream with the Springfield Nuclear Energy Plant and Springfield Shopper reporter Dave Shutton pulls up just as Bart catches a three-eyed fish, which the media nicknames Blinky.”–Wikipedia.org episode summary, “Two Cars in Each and every Garage and Three Eyes on Each and every Fish,” aired Nov. 1, 1990
* “Radioactive Fish near Vt. Nuke Plant Deemed Common”–headline, Linked Press, May 31, 2010
The Lonely Lives of Scientists
“Scientists Say Put More Nitrogen Into Milk, Not Manure”–headline, NewsroomAmerica.com, May 30
The Lonely Lives of Retired Professors
“Retired UConn Maritime Professor Dreams of Undersea Study Facility”–headline, Hartford Courant, June 1
Who Invaded Spain within the Eighth Century?
“If Looks Could Kill . Police Cover Murder Suspect’s ‘Moobs’ for the Sake of Public Decency”–headline, Daily Mail (London), May thirty
Ray Bradbury, Call Your Office
“Bates College Awards Some 450 Degrees”–headline, Portland (Maine) Press Herald, May thirty
What Do You Get When
“Man Crosses English Channel With Helium Balloons”–headline, Linked Press, May 28
If Your Monkey Has Ebola, We’ve Good Information
“New Ebola Drug 100 % Efficient in Monkeys”–headline, Frederick (Md.) News-Post, May 29
It Ain’t Silent Once the Fat Lady Sings
“700-Hour Silent Opera Reaches Finale at MoMA”–headline, New York Occasions, May 31
Be Cautious What You Wish For
“Fox Host Van Susteren Asks Blog Readers to Gauge Her Intelligence”–headline, Yahoo! Information, May 28
Questions Nobody Is Asking
* “Is That Hair Coming Out of Tailpipe?”–headline, Hartford Courant, May thirty
* “Is the President the Kind of Leader Chairman Mao Warned Us About?”–headline, CommonDreams.com, May 28
* “What’s Green, Slimy and Great for You?”–headline, Sunday Telegraph (London), May thirty
* “Are You Fighting Towards Your Personal Upliftment?”–headline, Puffington Host, May 31
* “Could These Lions Be as Good since the ’70s Steelers?”–headline, Detroit Free Press, May 31
* “Is Obama the New Cheney?”–headline, PowerLineBlog.com, May 29
Answers to Questions Nobody Is Asking
“What Obama Could Understand From Canada, Part Two”–headline, PowerLineBlog.com, May thirty
Dog Arrests Man–Now That Would be Information
“N.Y. Man Seeking Assist for Stray Dog Arrested on DWI Charges”–headline, Associated Press, May thirty
Too A lot Info
“Graphic: Kevin Costner’s Cleanup Solution”–headline, Los Angeles Times, May 21
Information with the Tautological
“Scientists Are Skeptical”–headline, Hindustan Times, May 31
News You can Use
“How to Shoot Someone From a Mile Away”–headline, New York Post, May thirty
Bottom Stories of the Day
* “No Choice on Who Will Run Utah’s New High Risk Insurance Pool”–headline, Salt Lake Tribune, May 28
* “Pelosi Blames Bush Administration for BP Oil Spill”–headline, Washington Examiner, May 29
* “Quilt Fad Slow to Take Off in Black Hawk County”–headline, Waterloo/Cedar Falls (Iowa) Courier, May 31
* “Quit Facebook Day Doesn’t Go Viral”–headline, Canadian Press, May 31
Indian Jail Gets New Wing
Police in India “are holding a pigeon below armed guard following it had been caught on an alleged spying mission for arch rival and neighbour Pakistan,” reviews Agence France-Presse:
The white-coloured bird was discovered by a local resident in India’s Punjab state, which borders Pakistan, and taken to a police station 40km from the capital Amritsar.
The pigeon experienced a ring around its foot and a Pakistani phone number and address stamped on its body in red ink.
They also found a duck, which they suspect of spying for Quackistan.
Web Video Surfaces of False Military Claim by Kirk of Illinois
June 2 (Bloomberg) — An additional movie featuring U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk of Illinois creating false claims of being the U.S. Navy’s intelligence officer with the 12 months surfaced in his campaign for a seat once held by President Barack Obama.
Kirk, a five-term Republican congressman and Navy reservist from Chicago’s northern suburbs, said last week that the 1999 award was actually provided to an ad-hoc intelligence team he created and ran, not to him individually.
A Internet movie promoting his Senate marketing campaign made the intelligence-officer-of-the-year assertion as an image of Kirk, 50, inside a fighter jet is shown. Previously, the only documented video of Kirk making the claim was on C-SPAN during a 2002 congressional hearing.
“It’s fitting that a marketing campaign movie created to introduce Congressman Mark Kirk to the individuals of Illinois consists of prominent mention of an award he didn’t receive,” mentioned Matt McGrath, a spokesman for Alexi Giannoulias, the Democrat competing for the seat. “He is really a typical Washington politician who will say something for political obtain.”
The misstatement about the award was very first documented by the Washington Post on May 29. The Kirk marketing campaign video is archived about the YouTube movie support about the Internet.
Eliminated From Website
Eric Elk, a Kirk spokesman, mentioned efforts are being created to right marketing campaign materials that include the reference. He mentioned the ad was eliminated from the campaign’s Web website last week.
“We have attempted to make certain that we’re checking every thing,” he mentioned. “What we can manage, we have attempted to take the right steps.”
Over the Memorial Day weekend — one devoted to honoring military support — Giannoulias and Kirk fought more than the character concern in a race that could help figure out control of the Senate.
The correction by Kirk, who has made his military support a central component of his campaign, comes as candidates face higher scrutiny about such claims following misstatements by Democrat Richard Blumenthal, a U.S. Senate candidate in Connecticut, about support in Vietnam.
“My corrected biography accurately shows I received the United States Navy Rufus L. Taylor Intelligence Award,” Kirk mentioned in a May 30 statement. “I won’t let my 21 many years of service in uniform be denigrated by Alexi Giannoulias, a man who chose not to serve.”
Kirk also called Giannoulias, 34, a “failed mob banker,” a reference to a loved ones bank that created loans to people with criminal records that was closed by regulators in April.
The seat Kirk and Giannoulias are fighting for is now held by Senator Roland Burris, a Democrat who was appointed to finish the phrase Obama won in 2004. Burris isn’t seeking a complete phrase.
