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Google: report of search block maybe glitch (China Daily) Fri Jul 30 07:55:05 +0200 2010

Fri Jul 30 07:55:05 +0200 2010

Google Inc said on Friday the firm's report that web searches in China were being blocked could have been the result of its own technical glitch that overstated the problem.

Google services reported down in China (CNet News) Fri Jul 30 04:05:05 +0200 2010

Fri Jul 30 04:05:05 +0200 2010

But those reports, which said nearly all of the Internet giant's services were blocked Thursday, turned out to be erroneous.

Beauty: still in the eye of the beholder | Richard Adams (Guardian) Sat Jul 31 03:30:14 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 03:30:14 +0200 2010

If this is the 50 most beautiful people in politics in Washington DC, just imagine what the rest of them look like

A unfortunate feature of summer in Washington DC – along with humidity and mosquitoes – is The Hill's 50 Most Beautiful, an annual attempt to convince itself that the politicians, staff members and hangers-on in the nation's capital are sexy.

And every year, it fails. For the obvious reason that almost nothing about Washington DC is sexy, certainly not the people who live here.

While we wait for the far more amusing takedown by The DCeiver blog, let's delve into the sad cavalcade of the 50 unfortunates who let themselves be interviewed and photographed for this exercise in futility.

Actually this is almost impossible to parody – as you'll quickly see if you read the mini-profiles – so here instead is a mash-up using actual statements taken from the 50 profiles. Remember – these are real phrases:

Maybe it's because she hails from a town where chickens cross the road, but the youngest child of survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide admits to the guilty pleasures of Diet Mountain Dew and Cheese Nips — the latter she claims is her No. 1 diet secret.
The former pageant beauty says she moisturizes every morning, especially before applying makeup, but there's one factor that really sets her apart: not just anyone gets mistaken for Katie Holmes, Anne Hathaway or Brittany Murphy. If you would see my cupboard, there's Raisin Bran and peanut butter, she says with a laugh. I'm not kidding.
Dispelling the popular image of the congressional staffer as a Starbucks-guzzling, seldom-sleeping ball of harried energy, somehow he still has time to hit the gym two or three times a week and pamper his 1-year-old French bulldog, Joey.
When he's not at work, lifting weights or stirring a pot of tomato sauce, he busies himself working on his new condo in Washington's U Street area. He tries not to overdo it on the ice cream, although he admits that his green-tinted tortoiseshell glasses showcase his fun, young side. He attributes his looks mostly to good genes, he says.
After all, she calls herself a huge dork for reading How to Win Friends and Influence People at least three times a year, as kind of a good refresher. I'm a fan of the classics, she says matter-of-factly. I'm not one for the latest radio tunes, per se.
She has held on to the values instilled by her father, a Marine who fought in Vietnam, and her grandfather, an Army paratrooper who jumped during D-Day. I think that's why I ultimately ended up in journalism, she says.

Richard Adams

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Schwarzenegger declares California fiscal emergency (Reuters) Thu Jul 29 05:55:05 +0200 2010

Thu Jul 29 05:55:05 +0200 2010

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency over the state's finances on Wednesday, raising pressure on lawmakers to negotiate a state budget that is more than a month overdue and will need to close a $19 billion shortfall.

Rising yuan will not hurt trade, say bankers (People's Daily) Sat Jul 31 11:20:10 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 11:20:10 +0200 2010

There is no foundation for the yuan to move sharply and China can maintain a flexible exchange rate mechanism, making the currency stand at a basically reasonable and balanced level, a senior central bank official said on Friday. Yi Gang, vice-governor of the People's Bank of China, said the pressure for yuan appreciation had eased as the value of the currency neared the equilibrium level after years of adjustments. Yi, who is also head of the State Administration of Foreign Ex ...

Google search 'still working in China' (Sydney MH) Fri Jul 30 05:05:20 +0200 2010

Fri Jul 30 05:05:20 +0200 2010

Google says its search engine and other services are working normally in mainland China after previously reporting the service had been completely blocked.

1st US execution of woman since 2005 set for Sept. (China Daily) Fri Jul 30 04:20:06 +0200 2010

Fri Jul 30 04:20:06 +0200 2010

A Virginia woman who used sex and money to persuade two men to kill her husband and her stepson to collect a $250,000 life insurance policy was scheduled Thursday to be executed in two months, which would be the first US execution of a woman in five years.

Military told to keep close eye on situation (China Daily) Fri Jul 30 04:20:04 +0200 2010

Fri Jul 30 04:20:04 +0200 2010

A top military officer has warned the Chinese military to keep a close eye on the changing situation amid a large-scale naval exercise in the South China Sea, held at the same time as a joint Washington-Seoul drill, State media reported on Thursday.

Accused Chinese grad student to be allowed to return home (China Daily) Sat Jul 31 09:00:02 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 09:00:02 +0200 2010

Zhai Tiantian, a former doctoral student at the New Jersey-based Stevens Institute of Technology who was previously charged with making a terroristic threat, has been allowed to voluntarily leave the US within the next 30 days under a ruling made by the judge at the Elizabeth Immigration Court on Thursday morning.

RIM answers Apple iPad with...The BlackPad* (The Register) Sat Jul 31 04:35:04 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 04:35:04 +0200 2010

* - offensive humor may vary

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion is preparing to launch an iPad competitor in November, and it will be called the BlackPad, according to a report citing two people familiar with the company's plans.…

China to face pressure defending interests in South China Sea (China Daily) Wed Jul 28 05:45:04 +0200 2010

Wed Jul 28 05:45:04 +0200 2010

China will face mounting foreign pressure in defending its interests on its seas as the United States flexes its muscles in the Asia Pacific, experts said.

Icebreaker Ships to Map Arctic Seafloor (LiveScience) Sat Jul 31 20:20:02 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 20:20:02 +0200 2010

Map will define a country's reach into the polar ocean.

Off-Duty Hollywood: Kourtney Kardashian Takes Mason for a Stroll (People Mag.) Sat Jul 31 20:15:13 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 20:15:13 +0200 2010

Plus: Newlyweds John Krasinski and Emily Blunt head to the movies and more star sightings

Hillary Clinton Goes Glam for Daughter Chelsea's Rehearsal Dinner (People Mag.) Sat Jul 31 20:15:12 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 20:15:12 +0200 2010

The town of Rhinebeck, N.Y., goes crazy for the former first family

Choc's away: Waters claims he has Mundine's measure (Sydney MH) Sat Jul 31 19:55:06 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 19:55:06 +0200 2010

Boxing: BOXER Ryan Waters has dismissed his next opponent, Anthony Mundine, as ''just another speed hump'' on his road to the world title, adding that a training partner had shown him how to defeat the former rugby league star.

AC/DC are a surprise hit (Sydney MH) Sat Jul 31 19:55:05 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 19:55:05 +0200 2010

AUSTRALIAN fast bowler Doug Bollinger was bemused by the revelation that England's batsmen were being blasted with AC/DC tunes to force them to focus harder on the bowling in the practice nets at their indoor cricket centre.

Classy Cats put Swans to sword (Sydney MH) Sat Jul 31 19:55:04 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 19:55:04 +0200 2010

SYDNEY coach Paul Roos last night conceded that despite a significantly improved performance by his team, they would be one of two teams effectively just making up the numbers if they make the finals.

England pacemen aim to come out swinging (Sydney MH) Sat Jul 31 19:55:04 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 19:55:04 +0200 2010

London: England's fast bowlers will start practising with the unfamiliar Kookaburra cricket balls well before the Ashes in the hope of reproducing their impressive swing-bowling form in Australia.

Hayne Plane grounded by team effort: Smith (Sydney MH) Sat Jul 31 19:55:03 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 19:55:03 +0200 2010

It took a Lightning Todd to finally ground the Hayne Plane.

Pakistan flooding death toll reaches 900 (China Daily) Sat Jul 31 19:45:07 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 19:45:07 +0200 2010

The death toll in floods that have lashed Pakistan has risen above 800, according to AP reports.

Picture of the Day 7/31: What is this? (CNet News) Sat Jul 31 19:30:03 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 19:30:03 +0200 2010

If you know what this is and where it's located, you could win a prize in the CNET Road Trip Picture of the Day challenge.

The Top Secrets Of Executive Headhunters (Forbes) Sat Jul 31 19:10:02 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 19:10:02 +0200 2010

Trade secrets and what you can learn from top-level recruiters

Second House Democrat may face ethics trial (MarketWatch) Sat Jul 31 19:05:04 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 19:05:04 +0200 2010

Rep. Maxine Waters of California could become the second Democrat to face an ethics trial in the fall after she reportedly declined to strike a deal with congressional investigators.

Bill Donoghue: Proactive Fund Investor celebrates five-year win (MarketWatch) Sat Jul 31 19:05:02 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 19:05:02 +0200 2010

The first five years of The Proactive Fund Investor newsletter have yielded some key lessons about succeeding in today’s unpredictable markets.

NewsWatch: U.S. stock market to continue balancing act (MarketWatch) Sat Jul 31 19:05:02 +0200 2010

Sat Jul 31 19:05:02 +0200 2010

The U.S. stock market is likely to continue pulling risk on and off the table in the days ahead, with another heavy round of earnings reports in store, along will a full slate of data on the economy, employment in particular.