The Creative News

Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally: Thousands Expected To Attend, Civil Rights Leaders Protest Event

Abg Joe — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:51:50 +0000

WASHINGTON — Tens of thousands of people heeded broadcaster Glenn Beck’s summons for his “Restoring Honor” rally Saturday from the same marble steps at the Lincoln Memorial where Martin Luther King Jr.’s gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech 47 years ago to the day.

Civil rights leaders protested the event – organizers have a permit for a crowd up to 300,000, though the Fox News commentator and conservative favorite said he expects 100,000 – and scheduled a 3-mile plus march from a high school to the site of a planned King memorial near the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial.

Beck insisted it was a coincidence that his gathering, where potential 2012 presidential candidate Sarah Palin was to speak, overlapped with the King speech anniversary of King’s speech. Organizers said their aim was to honor military personnel and others “who embody our nation’s founding principles of integrity, truth and honor.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton, leading the civil rights march, said Beck’s demonstration was an anti-government rally that advocated states’ rights – counter to the message in King’s speech, in which the civil right leader appealed to the federal government to ensure equality.

“The structural breakdown of a strong national government, which is what they’re calling for, is something that does not serve the interests of the nation and it’s something that Dr. King and others fought against,” Sharpton told C-SPAN on Saturday.

People began filling up the space between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, many waving American flags. The Washington-area subway system reported delays dues to crowding at some stations.

Beck has given voice to those angry and frustrated with President Barack Obama and other Democrats this election year, especially members of the tea party movement.

A conservative blogger’s assertion that parts of the capital should be avoided as unsafe, created an uproar on the blogosphere, drawing accusations of racism and a sharp response by angry city leaders.

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Digg New Design Is Ready For Diggers

Abg Joe — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:30:45 +0000

It’s finally here. Digg, the social link sharing site that has watched its once-meteoric rise to popularity level off over the last couple years, is relaunching today as it attempts to surge to greater heights — with an added focus on making the site better for publishers as well as users. Digg v4 will be rolling out over the next few hours, and brings some major changes that could totally change the dynamic of the site. Plenty of invites have been distributed over the last couple months, and we posted an exclusive preview back in May, but for most people this will be the first time they’ve experienced ‘New Digg’ for themselves.

The biggest change to come in Digg v4 is the increased emphasis on social. When you first sign in, you’ll be walked through a flow inviting you to begin following other users, both from a series of lists curated by Digg and from friends on your Facebook, Twitter, and Google accounts (which you can easily connect with). Once you’ve done this, you’ll get to the real meat of Digg. Which, as it happens, looks a lot like the old Digg.

As with the Digg you’re used to, you’ll see a stream of recent stories filling up most of the page, with ten top stories in a sidebar on the right. But there’s one key difference: each of these stories has been Dugg by one of your friends (or sponsored by an advertiser). Likewise, the stories on the right hand side of the screen represent the stories that have been dugg most by your friends over the last day or so.

But fear not, Digg diehards — the Digg you’ve come to know and love is still readily accessible at the top of the page, via the ‘Top News’ section. Clicking this tab will transition over to a version of Digg that’s much more like the current version, with recent news and Top News as submitted across all of Digg.

Other key changes include the link submission process, which is much more straightforward than it used to be. Before now if you wanted to submit a link to Digg, you had to provide an image and description to go along with it. Now these will be automatically added, the same way they are when you add a link to Facebook.

Of course, there’s still one big question: will it work? At this point I’m skeptical, but it won’t be clear for some time. In order for this to lead to the resurgence Digg needs, user behavior will need to change, especially among casual users. The site has long been dominated by power users who account for many of the stories that hit the front page — now there’s much more emphasis on what your friends have shared. Which assumes, of course, that you friends are actually sharing things on Digg, which is hardly a given at this point. That said, you can also follow celebrity and publisher accounts, like the TechCrunch Digg profile right here to help flesh out your feed of stories.

This launch has been a long time coming — it was supposed to launch back in 2009. In April, Digg founder Kevin Rose took over as CEO, replacing Jay Adelson — at the time we were hearing that he was unsatisfied with the progress of New Digg, which had already been much delayed.

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Lisa Murkowski vs. Joe Miller

Abg Joe — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:16:41 +0000

With votes still being in tallied in Alaska, the Frontier State’s GOP Senate primary looks all but ready to give birth to Sarah Palin-lite, Tea Party-backed Joe Miller as a Republican candidate for Senator. For incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the potential loss may be a particularly bitter pill to swallow.

When Sarah Palin catapulted Fairbanks attorney Joe Miller onto the national scene in a Facebook post back in June, the upstart conservative candidate appeared to have only an outside chance against the political legacy of the Murkowskis, a family that Sarah Palin knew quite well.

The Palin-Murkowski political rivalry was famously launched when Palin was denied the chance to inherit the Senate seat of Lisa Murkowski’s father, Frank, when he was elected Governor in 2002. Then-Gov. Murkowski chose his own daughter to fill the spot, instead. In 2006, however, Palin exacted revenge when she toppled Murkowski in the Republican gubernatorial primary and eventually went on to win the election. When she resigned that role as Governor a mere two years into her term last summer, Murkowski perhaps reignited the flames of enmity when she blasted Palin for having “decided to abandon the State.”

And so, the undertones of the Palin-Murkowski rivalry had always existed in this close competition, though they lay mostly dormant until Sarah (and Todd) Palin took to Facebook again last Friday and heated up the rhetoric in an aggressive fundraising plea.

After repeatedly attacking Murkowski’s “liberal” voting record and deeming her a “Senate RINO,” Palin wrote: “Let’s raise $1,000 for each of the 30 years this senate seat has been locked in by the Murkowski family. The only way for our state to reach its potential, and to save our country, is to elect reformers who will fight for Alaska and all America and will stand up against the liberal Washington agenda.”

Murkowski couldn’t help but take it personally.

“The tone was directed against me rather than reasons why you should support Joe,” Murkowski told Shushannah Walshe of the Daily Beast in an interview. “But she did put a little dig in there about my family, and you can’t help but notice when she says that she encouraged people to basically pony up 1,000 bucks to raise the 30,000 dollars, they want Miller to gain and that would be a 1,000 dollars for the 30 years the Murkowski family…locked up Alaska. All of a sudden, it was like, wait a minute, if you are taking me on because you don’t think I’m conservative enough that’s one thing, but are you now suggesting that Frank Murkowski was not conservative enough and why are you looping him on this? All of a sudden it became a little more personal.”

Murkowski took further aim at Palin directly Tuesday night, telling the Anchorage Daily News: “I think she’s out for her own self-interest. I don’t think she’s out for Alaska’s interest.”

Sen. Murkowski also lamented Palin’s recent recording of an eleventh hour robocall for Miller, saying that “It doesn’t feel like it was a campaign that was run by Alaskans,” according to the Daily News.

Wherever the campaigns were run from, they have produced an elections that is, as of now, still too close to call.

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Arizona Election Results: John McCain Wins GOP Primary

Abg Joe — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:20:21 +0000

John McCain won a primary challenge from former U.S. Congressman J.D. Hayworth. John McCain won the GOP primary against conservative challenger J.D. Hayworth. “I promise you, I take nothing for granted and will fight with every ounce of strength and conviction I possess to make the case for my continued service in the Senate,” said McCain. John McCain will go on to face a Democratic Party opponent in November.

John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election. McCain tenable the nomination in 2008 after coming back from early reversals, but lost to Democratic candidate Barack Obama in the general election.

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Miss Philippines 2010 Answer: Its A Major Mistake For Venus Raj

Abg Joe — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:08:30 +0000

Without a doubt, Miss Philippines Venus Raj had a very good chance of taking the Miss Universe 2010 crown. She was an early favorite and consistently ranked first in the online popularity poll.

The Miss Universe 2010 organizers even invited her to be in Las Vegas way ahead of the other candidates so she could join the media pre-pageant blitz.

From the looks of things, up to the announcement of the Top 5, she was really poised to win the crown – and then the dreaded question and answer portion happened.

Judge William Baldwin asked her, “What was the one big mistake that you did in your life? And what did you do to make it right?”

Miss Philippines’ reply was, “You know what, sir, in my 22 years of existence, I can say that there’s nothing major, major problem that I’ve done in my life because I’m very confident with my family, with the love that they are giving to me. So thank you so much that I’m here. Thank you, thank you so much!”

While it was not as much of a “disaster”, it was definitely not the impressive Miss Universe answer the judges were looking for.

You can watch the video how Miss Philippines 2010 answer judge William Baldwin question here.

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Vikings May Lose Sidney Rice For Half of The Season

Abg Joe — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:56:13 +0000

With the long-awaited return of Brett Favre last week, the Minnesota Vikings finally have their quarterback situation resolved.

Now if they could only say the same for their status at the wide receiver position, which grew even cloudier with the revelation by the Minneapolis Star Tribune that pro bowler Sidney Rice could miss half the season after undergoing hip surgery Monday.

Rice, who confirmed he underwent the procedure in a text message to the Star Tribune, has been on the physically unable to perform list since the beginning of training camp due to the injury he has said occurred during the NFC Championship in January.

Vikings receiver Percy Harvin also has medical issues, as he continues to battle the severe migraine headaches that have led him to miss most of camp.

The Vikings took a step to address their issues at wide receiver Tuesday by signing nine-year veteran Javon Walker, who played with Favre as a member of the Green Bay Packers from 2002-05.

Walker’s best season as a pro came in 2004, when he had career bests in yardage (1,382), touchdowns (12) and receptions (89).

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Martin Short’s Wife Nancy Dolman Dies at 58

Abg Joe — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:38:03 +0000

Martin Short’s wife of 30 years, Nancy Dolman, died Saturday at the couple’s Pacific Palisades home in California, the couple’s representative announced late Monday. She was 58. No other information on the cause of death has been released.

On Saturday morning, the Los Angeles City Fire Department went to their home in response to an emergency call. The response unit was on the scene for 30 minutes before departing without taking anyone to the hospital. It’s believed Nancy Dolman passed away at their house.

Nancy Dolman was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and underwent surgery at that time though it’s not immediately clear if her passing was related to her illness.

Nancy Dolman, best known for a recurring role as Annie Selig Tate on the TV sitcom ‘Soap,’ met Short in 1972 while both were working on a stage production of ‘Godspell.’ She was Gilda Radner’s understudy, but quickly caught the attention of Short. They married in 1980 and five years later she retired from acting to raise their family.

The couple has three children: Katherine Elizabeth, 27, Oliver Patrick, 24, and Henry, 20.

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(VIDEO) Miss Philippines 2010 Answer For Final Question

Abg Joe — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:27:37 +0000

The only thing more awkward than Bret Michaels’ bandanna and lack of hosting ability from last night’s Miss Universe pageant was the final answer provided by the proud representative of the Philippines, Venus Raj.

Venus Raj made it all the way to the final five until the doomsday device for beauty pageant dreamers known as the final question was dropped by a random Baldwin brother on her poor beautiful head. So what did whichever Baldwin it was ask Raj that was so difficult to answer? Here is the question before I show you the video:

What is one big mistake that you have made in your life and what did you do to make it right? – William (oh that one) Baldwin

Did they get these questions from the HR lady at my old job? Anyways, here is what Miss Philippines 2010 Venus Raj had for an answer followed by a full transcript:

Thank you so much sir for that wonderful question. Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Good evening Las Vegas! You know what sir in my 22 years of existence I can say there is nothing major major, I mean problem that I have done in my life because I am very confident with my family with the love that they are giving to me. So thank you so much that I am here!” – Miss Philippines 2010: Venus Raj

I loved the look on random Baldwin’s face, but I especially loved the look on Bret Michaels’ face because it was the same sort-of-not-there glaze he had all night. Some of her answer can be explained away due to difficulty with the English language but even then it was pretty rough. Sadly, Raj did not win following the final Q&A as the crown was awarded to Miss Mexico, Jimena Navarrete.

I do have a good idea as to how Venus Raj made the final five though. This would be my second favorite part of beauty contests, the swimsuit portion! Here are some parting shots of Miss Philippines 2010 so that we’ll all remember her not for her mistake about a lack of a mistake but instead for her bangin’ bod!

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Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren Officially Divorced; Couple Will Share Custody of Two Children

Abg Joe — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:34:24 +0000

Tiger and Elin have severed their link.

The girl-crazed golfer and his stunning Swedish spouse officially divorced at a hush-hush court hearing Monday.

The judgment, granted in Bay County, Fla., quietly capped a sordid sex scandal involving a parade of party girls and porn stars that turned Tiger Woods from pro golfer extraordinaire into a punch line – and shattered his squeaky-clean image.

“We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future,” they said in a joint statement.

In her petition, Elin Nordegren, 30, said the union was “irretrievably broken” but that she and Woods had reached a settlement deal July 3 that includes a joint parenting plan for daughter, Sam, 3, and son, Charlie, 1.

“While we are no longer married, we are the parents of two wonderful children and their happiness has, and will always be, of paramount importance to both of us,” the sparring spouses said, calling their discussions “amicable.”

“Once we came to the decision that our marriage was at an end, the primary focus of our amicable discussions has been to ensure their future well-being.”

The couple didn’t release financial details, but Nordegren is expected to walk off with about $100 million of Woods’ estimated $600 million fortune, TMZ.com reported.

Woods’ golf game has yet to recover since his cheating was exposed nine months ago following a bizarre SUV crash outside the family’s Florida home.

Since then, Woods, 34, has lost his good name, millions of dollars in endorsements – and now the Nordic knockout.

“He has broken his wife’s heart and the hearts of many others,” said Gloria Allred, the lawyer for several of Woods’ mistresses, including New York party girl Rachel Uchitel.

“His apparent lack of honesty in his relationships doomed his marriage.”

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Can’t Be Blocked

Abg Joe — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:16:15 +0000

He’s not only the face of Facebook, he’s also the all-seeing eye.

The “block this person” function on Facebook seems to work for all but one of the more than 500 million users on the social networking site: the company’s CEO.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg cannot be blocked, the blog Techcrunch.com reported. Attempts to do so result in the message, “General Block failed error: Block failed.” The 26-year-old multi-millionaire is the only known user to cause that error.

News of the glitch, first highlighted by the website blockzuck.com, comes at a time when Zuckerberg’s rise to prominence is going to come into scrutiny with the release of David Fincher’s film “The Social Network.”

Based on legal documents and interviews with co-founder Eduardo Saverin, the movie reportedly paints then Harvard University student Zuckerberg in an unflattering light during the period when the Facebook phenomenon first skyrocketed.

“Honestly, I wish that when people try to do journalism or write stuff about Facebook that they at least try to get it right,” Zuckerberg said in a recent onstage interview.

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