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June 13, 2013
17:08 • 6 days ago
From a NY Times story on the matter:

According to an internal memorandum circulating inside the government on Thursday, the “intelligence community assesses that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year.” President Obama said in April that the United States had physiological evidence that the nerve gas sarin had been used in Syria, but lacked proof of who used it and under what circumstances. He now believes that the proof is definitive, according to American officials.

This represents a quote-unquote “red line” situation for the U.S. (as in, Syria’s crossed a line), which means that we could see military action as a result.

From a NY Times story on the matter:

According to an internal memorandum circulating inside the government on Thursday, the “intelligence community assesses that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year.” President Obama said in April that the United States had physiological evidence that the nerve gas sarin had been used in Syria, but lacked proof of who used it and under what circumstances. He now believes that the proof is definitive, according to American officials.

This represents a quote-unquote “red line” situation for the U.S. (as in, Syria’s crossed a line), which means that we could see military action as a result.

16:08 • 6 days ago

  • two the advantage, in seconds, that Reuters is giving its high-value, “low latency” financial data customers by sending along a widely-cited economic statistic on consumer confidence. It may not sound like a lot of time, but since the stock market is almost entirely computerized at this point, that’s enough time to fit in a ton of automated trades. As you can imagine, it’s drawing controversy. Most people can’t even pick up an Oreo in that amount of time. source

15:25 • 6 days ago
15:05 • 6 days ago
In its first shot against the bow against the Business Insider audience, BuzzFeed literally writes an article that’s so fetch. Move over Financial Times, BF is gunning for your readership.

In its first shot against the bow against the Business Insider audience, BuzzFeed literally writes an article that’s so fetch. Move over Financial Times, BF is gunning for your readership.

12:28 • 6 days ago
I join the judgment of the Court, and all of its opinion except Part I–A and some portions of the rest of the opinion going into fine details of molecular biology. I am unable to affirm those details on my own knowledge or even my own belief. It suffices for me to affirm, having studied the opinions below and the expert briefs presented here, that the portion of DNA isolated from its natural state sought to be patented is identical to that portion of the DNA in its natural state; and that complementary DNA (cDNA) is a synthetic creation not normally present in nature.
A big-deal case passed the Supreme Court this morning, with the court finding that genes can’t be patented. But the fun part of this decision is Justice Antonin Scalia’s reasoning for joining with the majority, which disregards a part of the opinion which notes that “Genes form the basis for hereditary traits in living organisms.” Apparently Scalia slept through biology class in high school, because that’s all way over his head.
June 12, 2013
18:32 • 6 days ago

True story: If you’re going to snark on Twitter, there’s a good chance that someone in the Senate might be reading. That’s what happened to BuzzFeed reporter Rosie Gray, who had her cynical tweet about the nature of NSA head Gen. Keith Alexander’s testimony called out in public by the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Barbara Mikulski. More on what happened over this way.

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18:16 • 6 days ago
nbcnews:

Once-a-day pill prevents HIV in drug users
(Photo: Getty Images file)
A once-a-day pill can protect people who inject drugs from the AIDS virus, lowering their risk by nearly 50 percent, researchers reported Wednesday.
Continue reading

Big deal in the fight against AIDS.

nbcnews:

Once-a-day pill prevents HIV in drug users

(Photo: Getty Images file)

A once-a-day pill can protect people who inject drugs from the AIDS virus, lowering their risk by nearly 50 percent, researchers reported Wednesday.

Continue reading

Big deal in the fight against AIDS.

18:14 • 6 days ago
This guy’s name is Gen. Keith Alexander. He heads the National Security Agency. He says that the surveillance programs the agency has implemented under the Patriot Act have stopped “dozens of terrorist plots.” He says the program isn’t as bad as it’s being made out to be. “I think what we’re doing to protect American citizens here is the right thing,” he told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. “We aren’t trying to hide it. We’re trying to protect America.” (photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

This guy’s name is Gen. Keith Alexander. He heads the National Security Agency. He says that the surveillance programs the agency has implemented under the Patriot Act have stopped “dozens of terrorist plots.” He says the program isn’t as bad as it’s being made out to be. “I think what we’re doing to protect American citizens here is the right thing,” he told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. “We aren’t trying to hide it. We’re trying to protect America.” (photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

18:08 • 6 days ago
14:55 • 1 week ago
I got to be honest. The last one this last guy made had ham, pulled pork and bacon on it. And Craisins. It was a terrible sandwich. It was just horrible, but we put it on the menu and to be honest, it sold. I think he was telling his friends to buy it.

Would you fill up a grocer’s digital punch card for the chance to have your sandwich invention on the menu?

Small businesses are now using third party loyalty companies for their loyalty reward programs, allowing them to ditch the boring punch card and dream up some really weird prizes. 

(via usatoday)

This is a cool story. Way cooler than the sandwich. 

Recent posts and stuff we dig:
12:32 • 1 week ago
12:13 • 1 week ago

foxwithsocks:

heyveronica:

langer:

o_O

DAMN hahahahaha

You guys realize he noted it was a fake account shortly after and outed the account, right?

Even the best screw up sometimes. 

11:17 • 1 week ago
June 11, 2013
22:25 • 1 week ago
brooklynmutt:

BuzzFeed: Republican Nominee For Virginia Lieutenant Governor Misspells Own Book Title…On The Cover
E.W. Jackson’s self-published book Ten Commandments to an Extraordinary Life has a big error on the cover. Commandments — not “comandments.”

The 11th “comandment”: Thou shalt learn how to spell.

brooklynmutt:

BuzzFeed: Republican Nominee For Virginia Lieutenant Governor Misspells Own Book Title…On The Cover

E.W. Jackson’s self-published book Ten Commandments to an Extraordinary Life has a big error on the cover. Commandments — not “comandments.”

The 11th “comandment”: Thou shalt learn how to spell.

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