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Sunday Limited - News Briefing 08-JUNE-2008
2008-06-08 15:16:00
Here's a quick glance at the news on this rainy Northwoods morning.- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods - local) - - -Niagara mill to close July 12The Daily News, Iron Mountain 06-JUN-2008  (Nikki Younk)[Excerpt:] - NIAGARA, Wis. - The Niagara pulp and paper mill will be closing permanently on July 12, NewPage Corp. officials announced. NewPage initially had announced in January that the mill would close in April, but in March, NewPage reported that it would continue running the Number 43 and Number 44 paper machines at the Niagara facility until the fall of 2008 due to unusually high market demand earlier in the year. The decision to permanently close the mill on July 12 was made due to further market changes, officials noted. "Current market outlook would not indicate another change in closing date," said Shelly Ghere of Niagara Mill communications.- - - U.S. Election 2008 - - -It was Iraq, stupidToday's Zaman, 08-JUN-2008  (Rosa Brooks, Los Angeles Times)[Excerpt:] - "It...
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Saturday Extra, News Briefing 07-JUNE-2008
2008-06-07 15:23:00
Pine River World News is updated Monday through Friday by 6 a.m. Central Time. I will also post occasionally on weekends (no scheduled time).RSS and e-mail subscribers please visit my blog for the latest headlines 24/7. Breaking news from Macleans, USA Today, and Examiner newspapers is continuously updated throughout the day. Special sections for USA, WI, MI, IL, MN, plus links to international news sources and local media in northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan are available.Please note that featured article links may expire with time.Thanks for reading Pine River World News.- - - Wisconsin News - - -NewPage plans more local cutsWausau Daily Herald, 07-JUN-2008  (Nathaniel Shuda)[Excerpt:] - WISCONSIN RAPIDS - Almost six months after purchasing papermaker Stora Enso North America for $2.6-billion, NewPage announced Friday it will eliminate nearly 200 local administrative positions in the next year. As many as 59 union workers - a number previously announced - will lose their ...
More About: June , Saturday , Extra , June 2008

"We are not transferring weapons to the Georgians" - interview with U.S. De
2008-06-06 13:02:00
The following article is reprinted with permission from Regnum News Agency, Moscow. It is presented in addition to today's News Briefing."We are not transferring weapons to the Georgians" - interview with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew BryzaREGNUM News Agency, June 5, 2008Today, on June 5, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza arrived in Moscow. In the Russian capital, he met with Russia's Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Yuri Zubakov and Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin. According to the American diplomat, key topics of the discussions were to be the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. On June 6, Bryza will go to St. Petersburg where he will meet with Presidents of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and of Armenia Serge Sargsyan, who are to take part in the 12th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. In an interview to a REGNUM correspondent Mr. Bryza shared his ideas on the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, ...
More About: Interview , Weapons

News Briefing 06-JUNE-2008
2008-06-06 12:24:00
A rainy morning here in the Northwoods.- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods - local) - - -This week's Florence Mining News (P.O. Box 79, Florence, WI 54121, issue date 04-JUN-2008 ) includes the following notice:Baby Bison Fest to be held SaturdayBaby Bison Fest will be held this Saturday, June 7 at Crossroads Ranch in Fence (Wis.) from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. During the event, visitors can have a guided wagon ride to see bison up close and count exactly how many baby bison were born at the ranch this year.In addition, the Florence County Fair Board will be selling bison burgers and brats to raise money for the 2008 Florence County Fair. Other activities throughout the day include a live owl educational display with Phyllis Carlson, a car show with five local car clubs, and Les Artiste Art Club exhibit. Visitors can meet the baby animals from Ed?s Ranch, and the 2008 Fairest of the Fair will be crowned at 1 p.m.There is no charge to attend. The Florence High School Forensics team will offer V....
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The Iraqi Resistance: Five Years on, Saddam's Successor Resurfaces
2008-06-05 19:50:00
The following article is reprinted with permission from Global Research. It is presented in addition to today's News Briefing.The Iraqi Resistance : Five Years on, Saddam's Successor ResurfacesAddouri Outlines Anti-U.S. Strategy, Tactics of Resistanceby Nicola NasserGlobal Research, June 5, 2008For the first time since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in April 2003, the deputy of Saddam Hussein, the late President of Iraq, Izzat Ibrahim Addouri has resurfaced, despite a $10-million U.S. bounty on his head.In a lengthy interview with Abdel-Azim Manaf, the editor-in-chief of the Egyptian newspaper Al-Mawqif Al-Arabi, not a mainstream, on May 26 Izzat Ibrahim Addouri lays out the strategy and tactics of the Iraqi resistance led by the former ruling party, Al-Baath. Addouri's resurface and the resistance strategy he has laid out represent a direct challenge to the U.S. occupying power.Manaf told The Associated Press (AP) he interviewed Addouri "on the battlefield." The "dialogue" was con...

News Briefing 05-JUNE-2008
2008-06-05 12:39:00
- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods - local) - - -Congratulations to Niagara High School junior Jamie Vandenberg for setting two state records (and winning two gold medals) in the WIAA Division 3 State Track & Field Championships last Saturday in LaCrosse:400- meter dash (time: 56.15)800- meter dash (time: 2:17.84)- - -Congratulations to Florence High School senior Aileen Lemanski for also setting a new WIAA Division 3 state record and earning a gold medal in LaCrosse:Long jump (18-6.25 feet).- - -Overall the Florence girls' team placed 6th and Niagara 10th. Great job!- - - U.S. Election 2008 - - -Arabs shocked by Obama speechAl Jazeera, 05-JUN-2008[Excerpt:] - Arab leaders have reacted with anger and disbelief to an intensely pro-Israeli speech delivered by Barack Obama, the U.S. Democratic presumptive presidential nominee.- - - More news - - -McCain and Obama:  a stark matchupThe Christian Science Monitor, 05-JUN-2008  (Linda Feldmann)"They're both mavericks, but they dif...
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News Briefing 04-JUNE-2008
2008-06-04 12:45:00
- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods) - - -Crandon house to be demolished June 21The Daily News, Rhinelander 03-JUN-2008 [Excerpt:] - CRANDON, Wis. - The duplex in northern Wisconsin where six people were shot to death last fall will be demolished this month, the Appleton Post Crescent reported Monday. The house will be knocked down on June 21, said Pastor Bill Farr, spokesman for the Fountain of Youth memorial committee. The committee will hold a prayer vigil the evening before, and the house will be destroyed at about 6 a.m.- - - Upper Michigan News - - -U.P. Championship Rodeo set for June 5-7Iron County Reporter, 04-JUN-2008- - - U.S. Election 2008 - - -Barack Obama's victory speech:  Full textTelegraph, 04-JUN-2008[Published summary:] - The soon-to-be-crowned Democratic candidate for the presidential election's words on his accession.- - - Related - - -John McCain reacts to Barack Obama's nomination:  Full textTelegraph, 04-JUN-2008[Published summary:] - John McCain, th...
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News Briefing 03-JUNE-2008
2008-06-03 12:35:00
Was it just me, or did anyone else have problems with Blogger yesterday? Hopefully it's their problem and not something wrong with my ageing computer. Sometimes slow connections are isolated to our local service provider here in northeast Wisconsin - but yesterday the internet seemed to work fine for everything except Blogger. Heck, it took me almost 12 minutes to finish a minor update that should have taken 2 minutes at the most. I often wonder if slow ISP connections are deliberate - i.e. a way to force the remaining "dial up" users (like me) to upgrade to more expensive DSL out of frustration.- - - U.S. Election 2008 - - -Montana prepares for Democratic race showdownTelegraph, 03-JUN-2008  (Toby Harnden)[Published summary:] - Five months to the day after Iowans braved snow and ice to attend their caucuses, the epic Democratic primary race will come to an end in the wide open spaces beneath the sun setting in the big sky of Montana.- - - More news - - -Can Barack Obama be a ...
More About: News , June , June 2008

News Briefing 02-JUNE-2008
2008-06-02 12:26:00
- - - Wisconsin News - - -Red Apple owner 'not going to stop' smokers despite citationsWausau Daily Herald, 02-JUN-2008  (Jeff Starck)[Excerpt:] - WAUSAU - The owner of a Wausau business who recently was cited for violating the city's ban on smoking in restaurants says it is his customers' choice to smoke. Zack Jusufi, owner of Red Apple Family Restaurant on Third Avenue in Wausau, said recent enforcement has caused his business to drop as much as 50 percent. As a result, Jusufi said, he is behind on bills, and employees are losing out on work hours and tips. The city's ordinance bans smoking in restaurants and states the customer and the manager or owner can be cited for an offense. Jusufi, who said he does not smoke, established a private social club in May 2005, after the smoking ban went into effect. The club requires people to pay $1 to become a member. The city has not recognized it as a private club, he said.- - - U.S. Election 2008 - - -McCain to urge divestment ag...
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Sunday Limited - News Briefing 01-JUNE-2008
2008-06-01 13:58:00
It's a beautiful morning here in the Northwoods.- - - U.S. Election 2008 - - -Obama breaks with controversial churchReuters, 01-JUN-2008  (Deborah Charles)[Excerpt:] - ABERDEEN, South Dakota - Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama said on Saturday he quit his Chicago church in the aftermath of inflammatory sermons that could become a lightning rod in the November election.- - - More news - - -Clinton Hit By Florida And Michigan RulingSky News , 01-JUN-2008[Excerpt:] - A Democratic Party panel has backed a compromise plan to give Florida and Michigan delegates half-votes in a blow to White House hopeful Hillary Clinton.- - - Pakistan / Afghanistan News (Regional) - - -Iranian diplomat holds U.S. responsible for unrest in regionThe Frontier Post, Peshawar 01-JUN-2008  (local correspondent)[Excerpt:] - PESHAWAR - Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan could effectively settle the regional problems provided foreign interference in the region was stopped said Peshawar base...
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Saturday Extra, News Briefing 31-MAY-2008
2008-05-31 15:11:00
Pine River World News is updated Monday through Friday by 6 a.m. Central Time. I will also post occasionally on weekends (no scheduled time).RSS and e-mail subscribers please visit my blog for the latest headlines 24/7. Breaking news from Macleans, USA Today, and Examiner newspapers is continuously updated throughout the day. Special sections for USA, WI, MI, IL, MN, plus links to international news sources and local media in northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan are available.Please note that featured article links may expire with time.Thanks for reading Pine River World News.- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods) - - -Guard troops to deployThe Daily News, Rhinelander 30-MAY-2008  (Giles Morris)[Excerpt:] - Rhinelander's National Guard soldiers are getting ready to mobilize again. The current plan is that Company C, 724th Engineering Battalion, will leave for Afghanistan sometime in December or January. For the soldiers and their families, the news means they have six months to ge...
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News Briefing 30-MAY-2008
2008-05-30 12:44:00
For my local readers along the Wisconsin-Michigan stateline (specifically Niagara, Wis., Florence County and Dickinson County) I want to mention the "café" located inside Foreward Financial Credit Union in Iron Mountain. This is the newest location of Niagara-based Foreward Financial that just opened next to Wal-mart.The café offers some basic coffees and freshly baked cookies. There are three high-speed Dell computers (free internet), a small meeting room that can be reserved for a nominal charge, plus a selection of newspapers for customers to read. There are some tables with limited seating. It's a very nice place and you do not need to be a member of the credit union to use the facilities.The reason I am mentioning the café is that the "house coffee" is some of the best I have tasted locally. Each cup is freshly brewed using beans ground for that purpose - and at 50-cents a cup ($1 for specialty coffees) this is a bargain price.Hours as of this writing:  Mon...
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News Briefing 29-MAY-2008
2008-05-29 12:37:00
[The following joke is from the Sofia News Agency, Bulgaria, newswire.]The Reason Why I Fired My SecretaryTwo weeks ago was my forty-fifth birthday, and I wasn't feeling too hot that morning anyway. I went to breakfast knowing my wife would be pleasant and say "Happy Birthday," and probably have a present for me. She didn't even say "Good Morning," let alone any "Happy Birthday." I thought, "Well, that's wives for you. Maybe the children will remember." The children came in to breakfast and didn't say a word. When I started to the office I was feeling pretty low and despondent. As I walked into my office, my secretary, Janet, said, "Good morning boss, Happy Birthday." And I felt a little better; someone had remembered. I worked until noon. Then Janet knocked on my door and said, "You know, it's such a beautiful day outside and it's your birthday, let's go to lunch, just you and me." I said, "By George, that's the best thing I've heard all day. Let's go." We went to lunch. ...
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News Briefing 28-MAY-2008
2008-05-28 12:43:00
I didn't think much about it on Sunday when some areas near the Wisconsin - Michigan stateline received marble-sized hail. But yesterday I visited a large car dealership in nearby Iron Mountain, Michigan, and was told by the salesman: "We can't sell any cars - they all have hail damage. We're waiting for an insurance examiner to inspect our inventory."I remember watching the hail fall that evening, followed by heavy rains, and thinking about the various Memorial Day Weekend activities that people had planned outdoors - everything from picnics to high school graduation parties. But aside from the Spring storm which lasted only an evening, the remainder of the 3-day weekend offered pleasant sunny weather.- - - U.S. Election 2008 - - -McCain vows to back Indo-U.S. nuclear dealTimes of India, 28-MAY-2008  (PTI)[Excerpt:] - NEW YORK - Strongly backing the stalled civilian nuclear deal with India, presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain has said it would strength...
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News Briefing 27-MAY-2008
2008-05-27 12:29:00
It's back to work for many of my American readers after the 3-day Memorial Day weekend. In a sense I'm glad the week is resuming - my blog's readership typically falls off on weekends and holidays (which can only mean that people are reading it when they're supposed to be working!)- - -Monitoring Iran's press this morning I note their silence on the recently released IAEA report on their country's nuclear program. Beginning last Friday, with great anticipation, local media have been awaiting what was expected to be another favorable report from ElBaradai yesterday. At the moment (4:20 a.m.) there is no mention of the report on IRNA or Press TV. However, the Russian media is carrying reaction:Iran denounces new IAEA report on nuclear programRIA Novosti, Moscow 27-MAY-2008 [Excerpt:] - TEHRAN - Iran rejected on Tuesday the UN nuclear watchdog's report on the country's controversial nuclear program, saying concerns over alleged nuclear weapons research are ungrounded. Mohamed El...
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News Briefing 26-MAY-2008
2008-05-26 12:34:00
Today is Memorial Day, a public holiday in the United States.- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods) - - -Moose on the loose near Monico draws crowdThe Daily News, Rhinelander, 24-MAY-2008  (Luke Laggis)[Excerpt:] - Wisconsinites tend to think of themselves as seasoned outdoors people, in tune with nature and accustomed to the sights of everything from soaring eagles to lumbering black bears, but a moose sighting will trigger conversation in taverns across the Northwoods and draw curious observers to any place one of the animals is sighted. The scenario played out Friday morning as a cow moose grazed its way through brush and fields toward Highway 8 in Monico, where passersby began stopping to get a better look at the massive animal.- - - U.S. Election 2008 - - -Obama stands in for Kennedy in university speechThe Guardian, UK 26-MAY-2008  (Suzanne Goldenberg)[Excerpt:] - Barack Obama deepened his connection to America's most fabled political clan yesterday by stepping in for th...

Sunday Limited - News Briefing 25-MAY-2008
2008-05-25 15:59:00
Pine River World News will publish its regular daily News Briefing by 6 a.m. Central Time on Memorial Day.- - - U.S. Election 2008 - - -Are Americans ready to vote for a black man as president?The Montreal Gazette, 25-MAY-2008  (Norman Webster)[Excerpt:] - The Clintons are still scratching and clawing, but most observers believe Barak Obama has sewn up the Democratic nomination for president. Now things get interesting. Question of the day: Are Americans ready to vote for a black man as their head of state and commander-in-chief?- - - Pakistan News - - -Musharraf should not be allowed safe exit:  ex-generalsThe News, 25-MAY-2008  (Rauf Klasra)[Excerpt:] - ISLAMABAD - As many as 26 senior retired Army officers, some of them teachers of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, boldly demanded on Saturday that a safe exit to Musharraf must not be provided.- - - World Briefing - - -Dams in Danger of Collapse as Heavy Rains Forecast for China Quake ZoneVoice of America, 25-MAY-200...
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Saturday Extra, News Briefing 24-MAY-2008
2008-05-24 14:46:00
Pine River World News is updated Monday through Friday by 6 a.m. Central Time. I will also post occasionally on Saturday s (no scheduled time).RSS and e-mail subscribers please visit my blog for the latest headlines 24/7. Breaking news from Macleans, USA Today, and Examiner newspapers is continuously updated throughout the day. Special sections for USA, WI, MI, IL, MN, plus links to international news sources and local media in northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan are available.Thanks for reading Pine River World News.- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods - local) - - -The following article is reprinted in full.Niagara meeting for U.S. 141 projectDaily News, Iron Mountain (Mich.) posted 23-MAY-2008  (Angie DuBose)[Full text:] - GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Northeast Regional Office in Green Bay will conduct a public information meeting regarding the resurfacing and reconstruction of U.S.-141 from U.S.-8 east to the Menominee River bridge in Marinette ...
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News Briefing 23-MAY-2008
2008-05-23 12:37:00
- - - Wisconsin News - - -Exploding fuel costs taking tollEagleHerald, Marinette 23-MAY-2008  (Donn Williams)[Excerpt:] - MARINETTE (Wis.) - The high cost of diesel fuel coupled with the struggling economy is putting a big hurt on trucking companies and the businesses they serve. Industry figures show 5,000 carriers are going out of business every month. Most are small companies with just one or two trucks, some may have fleets of 15 to 20. Sometimes even major companies succumb, like one New Jersey hauler that went out of business last week with a 1,200-truck fleet. "The cost of fuel has taken the profit margins right out of everything," said Don Smith, operations manager for Nelson Freight Service Inc. in Peshtigo. "It's just made it really tough to make a living out of this industry any more."- - - U.S. Election 2008 - - -McCain Rejects 'Hitler' Sermon PreacherSky News, 23-MAY-2008[Excerpt:] - Republican White House hopeful John McCain has rejected the endorsement of a to...

News Briefing 22-MAY-2008
2008-05-22 12:31:00
An invitation to my RSS and email subscribers to visit my blog and check out the enhanced coverage of the latest world news - including a direct link to BBC video. I have also routed the feed from my News vine "seeds" onto my blog. (This is where I post individual headlines I find of interest after each day's blog has been published.) RSS subscriptions to my Newsvine postings are now available.- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods - local) - - -This week's Florence Mining News (P.O. Box 79, Florence, WI 54121, issue date 21-MAY-2008 ) includes the following articles by Hank Murphy:Florence County to offer prescription drug discount cards for residents[Excerpt:] - Florence County will soon be introducing a discount card program to help consumers cope with the high price of prescription drugs.Super One will not open store in Florence[Excerpt:] - Super One Foods, the latest company to take a serious look at the former Haberkorn's store, has decided not to establish a grocery business in Fl...

News Briefing 21-MAY-2008
2008-05-21 12:44:00
While checking the news this morning I happened upon an article in the Turkish newspaper, Sabah. Did you know that the credit card interest rate in Turkey is 78%?- - -[The following joke is from the Sofia News Agency, Bulgaria, newswire.]- - At Large - - -A vertically challenged psychic was arrested one day. He escaped from jail and the newspaper headline read, "Small Medium At-large."- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods) - - -State compact negotiations continue with Lac du Flambeau tribeThe Lakeland Times, Minocqua 20-MAY-2008  (Doug Etten)[Excerpt:] - Negotiations are continuing between the state of Wisconsin and the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians over a gaming compact that hasn't been renewed since expiring in July 2004. "We are proceeding fairly consistently with our planned negotiations," tribal attorney Carol Brown said. "Each side has had some circumstances that have come up that have contributed to a bit of a delay, but we're still moving forwa...

News Briefing 20-MAY-2008
2008-05-20 12:43:00
Few of my blog readers are aware that I also "seed" global headlines to my News vine column. (I really should publicize this more often.) Some of these headlines appear on my blog while others do not, but I admit that I use Newsvine primarily as a means of attracting readers to Pine River World News.That said, however, I did post an Opinion piece "on the 'vine" last night. You can use the following link, and if you like what I wrote please click the green "vote" button located above the title. I'm not sure if non-Newsvine members can vote but I think they can. Members can post comments.The future of printed media in light of the internetPine River@Newsvine, 19-MAY-2008  (steve1151)[Excerpt:] - The following article appears in the current issue of Macleans (cover date 19-MAY-2008) which raises questions about the "future" of newspapers in the digital age -- and specifically mentions the demise of the print-edition of Madison, Wisconsin's Capital Times...My readers may als...

News Briefing, 19-MAY-2008
2008-05-19 12:26:00
- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods - local) - - -This week's print edition of the Florence Mining News (P.O. Box 79, Florence, WI 54121) includes the following notice:Feingold representative to be in Florence May 20Karen Graff, northern regional coordinator for U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, will hold office hours in Florence from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 20, in the second floor conference room at the Florence County Courthouse.Area residents are invited to meet with her to discuss their concerns. For those unable to attend, Feingold?s Wausau staff can be reached at 715-848-5660.[End full text.]- - - U.S. Election 2008 - - -Military culture, pragmatism shape McCainThe Christian Science Monitor, 19-MAY-2008  (Linda Feldmann)[Excerpt:] - WASHINGTON - John McCain once called it the worst thing that ever happened to him - worse, even, than his 5-1/2 years in a Hanoi prison. "It" is the so-called Keating Five scandal of 1989, in which Senator McCain of Arizona and four other senator...

Saturday Extra, News Briefing 17-MAY-2008
2008-05-17 16:33:00
Pine River World News is updated Monday through Friday by 6 a.m. Central Time (12h00 GMT). I will also post occasionally on Saturday s (no scheduled time).RSS and e-mail subscribers please visit my blog for the latest headlines 24/7. Breaking news from Macleans, USA Today, and Examiner newspapers is continuously updated throughout the day. Special sections for USA, WI, MI, IL, MN, plus links to international news sources and local media in northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan are available.Thanks for reading Pine River World News.- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods - local) - - -A reminder to residents and visitors to northern Marinette County that the Niagara Police Department will be actively enforcing seat-belt compliance during Wisconsin's Click It or Ticket program May 19 through June 1.- - - U.S. Election 2008 - - -The Poblano Effect:  Obama Could Score Huge Electoral Victory over McCainAlterNet, 17-MAY-2008  (Josh Kalven, Progress Illinois)"If the huge African-America...
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News Briefing 16-MAY-2008
2008-05-16 12:36:00
There's an interesting photo that accompanies this article:Smallest helicopter to fly in ItalyPress TV, 16-MAY-2008 [Full text:] - A Japanese man who made the world's smallest helicopter will take flight in the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci in tribute to the original idea. Gennai Yanagisawa said that a demonstration flight of his one-man helicopter is planned in the city of Vinci, near Florence, Italy, on May 25. Yanagisawa developed the GEN H-4 helicopter - with rotors, a chair, footrest and handle bar - in the late 1990s. "The concept of my helicopter comes from Italy, and I've always wanted to fly it in da Vinci's birthplace," Yanagisawa said Thursday. Renaissance-era visionary da Vinci designed an 'aerial screw' in the 1480s - believed to be the first portrayal of a vertical-flight machine, according to Italy's National Museum of Science and Technology. A Guinness World Records spokeswoman confirmed the recognition of Yanagisawa's helicopter as the world's smallest mod...
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News Briefing 15-MAY-2008
2008-05-15 12:30:00
I make it a practice to read each of the blogs I link to on Pine River World News at least every few days -- which is how I discovered an interesting post by South African journalist and blogger Ivo Vegter:Blowing Hubble bubblesThe Spike, 13-MAY-2008  (Ivo Vegter)[Excerpt:] - Shock. Horror. SMS messages are more expensive than data transmission from the Hubble Space Telescope. So says a scientist at the University of Leicester...Ivo doesn't link to me (but he should!) although I know from correspondence that he reads my blog periodically. His article is very informative and worth reading.- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods - local) - - -This week's Florence Mining News (P.O. Box 79, Florence, WI 54121, issue date 14-MAY-2008) includes:Baumgart case goes to mediation[Excerpt:] - A termination hearing involving Florence middle school teacher Nick Baumgart has been placed on hold as parties attempt to mediate a settlement in the case, Florence school administrator Fred Stieg said ...

News Briefing 14-MAY-2008
2008-05-14 12:29:00
Your blogmaster's view of the primaries...Having followed the U.S. presidential primaries to date (plus all the mud-slinging among the candidates) -- and let's not forget the numerous "opinion polls" showing this or that candidate leading by so many points -- I have concluded that the primary campaign process has a very serious flaw.The flaw is not in the wishy-washy 'super delegates' nor in the fact that primaries are held on different dates (thus allowing the results from early voting states to influence the minds of voters in late voting states). It is not any of these things.The most serious weakness is that the November election is a "package deal" comprised of a presidential AND vice presidential candidate running as partners. This is not the case in the primaries (which involve only individual candidates) and thus the opinion polls supposedly hinting at who can best win a national election may be greatly in error.How accurate are polls that forecast all the way to Novembe...
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News Briefing 13-MAY-2008
2008-05-13 12:33:00
I read an interesting post on Intuitive Fred's California blog yesterday:Only the Greenest of Countries Will SurviveIntuitive Fred888, 12-MAY-2008 [Full text:] - Now that most of us who have done the research know that oil isn't long for this world (estimates vary from 2020 to 2050 being the end of oil) it is becoming very obvious that the next revolution in power sources will be toward solar, wind and alternative fuels and alternative sources of power to oil.It is possible that only plastics will continue to be made from oil and that oil will at some point no longer be a fuel source simply because of its cost.In looking as a futurist into what is coming it is obvious that those countries which move the quickest and most efficiently into the greening of the world will be those countries that do the best in taking care of their people and the most financially successful in the near future we all must face.Looking realistically at the last century, my grandparents and great grandpare...
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News Briefing 12-MAY-2008
2008-05-12 12:36:00
I admit that I'm spoiled when it comes to TV and radio.In our house we have 4 television sets -- all hooked up to DVD players -- but we have no TV cable service, hence we receive no "channels". (Nor do homes up here along the stateline near Iron Mountain, Michigan, have roof-antennas -- there are no television signals to receive, unless you have a satellite dish.)As for radio... two years ago I signed up for Sirius (satellite radio) which is money well-spent. No commercials and a lot of choices for music and news.So I guess by "spoiled" I mean that I am not used to watching (or listening to) commercial advertising interspersed between TV programs or music broadcasts.DVDs and satellite radio have their advantages.- - - Wisconsin News - - -Wis. remains tops in cheese contest with Calif.Examiner, 12-MAY-2008  (M. L. Johnson, AP)[Excerpt:] - MILWAUKEE - Cheeseheads don't need to be bleu: Experts say predictions that California will soon overtake Wisconsin as the nation's top che...

Saturday Extra, News Briefing 10-MAY-2008
2008-05-10 18:20:00
The first part of today's blog includes some speculation regarding recent actions surrounding our local paper mill in Niagara. However, readers from outside the area may also find it of interest as it addresses some U.S. trade and corporate practices.Otherwise, scroll down for national and world news.- - - Wisconsin News (Northwoods - local) - - -Regular readers of this blog know that our local paper mill in Niagara, Wis. was purchased by NewPage Corp. (Miamisburg, Ohio) and shortly after the acquisition the new owners announced that the mill would permanently close in April 2008 . Niagara's mill has operated for 119 years and employs 319 workers who live along the Wisconsin-Michigan border. (The date for the closure has since been extended to September 2008 - but I will say more about that later.)According to one long-time employee, the Niagara paper mill is "profitable, earning somewhere between $2- and $3-million per month." OK, I admit that I have not tried to confirm these fi...
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