Archive for September, 2007

NASA gives Google founders a coveted parking place for their private jet

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration confirmed earlier this week that H211, a limited liability company that counts Google's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, as one of its principals, had secured rights to operate a refurbished wide-body Boeing 767-200 out of Moffett Field, an airport that is run by NASA and ...

FAA Chief Says Air Travel to Get Worse

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

When Marion C. Blakey took over at the Federal Aviation Administration in 2002, she was determined to fix an air travel system battered by terrorism, antiquated technology, and the ever-turbulent finances of the airline industry. Five years later, as she prepares to step down on Sept. 13, it's clear she ...

Body Shop founder Roddick dies

Monday, September 10th, 2007

Body Shop founder Anita Roddick, who used her international cosmetics chain to promote eco-friendly practices long before they were widely fashionable, died Monday night after suffering a major brain hemorrhage, her family said. She was 64.Read the full story

Mexican Rebels Claim Pipeline Attacks

Monday, September 10th, 2007

A shadowy leftist guerrilla group took credit for a string of explosions that ripped apart at least six Mexican oil and gas pipelines Monday, rattling financial markets and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in lost production.Read the full story

New York Times Reports on Facebook Hate Speech

Monday, September 10th, 2007

After NewsCloud's report on Slashdot Facebook Exposes Advertisers To Hate Speech, Facebook removed its Fuck Islam group for a day (it's back up now). According to the New York Times, which picked up the story today, "Facebook declined to comment on Friday on the subject of hate speech or on ...

Solar plane flies into the night

Monday, September 10th, 2007

UK defence firm Qinetiq, which built the Zephyr unmanned aerial vehicle, said it flew for 54 hours during tests. The researchers believe it is the first time a solar-powered craft has flown under its own power through two nights.Read the full story

Rep. Gillmor died in fall, autopsy suggests

Monday, September 10th, 2007

Congressmen die in falls all the time: The injuries sustained were consistent with a fall and the death appears to be accidental," said Det. Steve Gomez, a spokesman for the Arlington County Police Department. "We have no evidence of foul play." It was unclear what precipitated the fall. The medical ...

Brawl Over Islam on Facebook

Monday, September 10th, 2007

As of the weekend, more than 58,000 Facebook members had joined a group that said that unless the anti-Islam group was removed, “we r quitting Facebook.” Facebook declined to comment on Friday on the subject of hate speech or on what steps had been taken.Read the full story

Al Franken: Can a Gag Man Become Senator?

Sunday, September 9th, 2007

Still, Franken's high-profile past poses some serious challenges. A third of the Minnesotans who recognize Franken's name also have a negative opinion of him. During a fairground interview with Christian radio, Franken is flustered by one such critic, who shouts "Woo!" when he mentions the GOP, "Boo!" when he mentions ...

Ethawhat? Mali’s Farmers Discover a Weed’s Potential Power

Saturday, September 8th, 2007

But now that a plant called jatropha is being hailed by scientists and policy makers as a potentially ideal source of biofuel, a plant that can grow in marginal soil or beside food crops, that does not require a lot of fertilizer and yields many times as much biofuel per ...