Google Limiting Free News?

An exciting turn of events in the free online news world. Google has put limits that companies can set on their website that will limit how many free articles viewers can see. This comes at a very prevalent time because as it is right now, the newspaper industry has started to fail, and even major newspaper companies are cutting back because they cannot compete with the amount of free news that is circulating on the internet.

BBC reports (here) that Google has updated their program so that publishes can limit users so at most five free pages a day. This will stop users from cheating the system by using Google as a way around the costs in order to view articles that would normally require payment to view.

This comes after Rupert Murdoch accused such companies as Google for generating revenue through advertisement on multiple articles without limiting them.

This may be the future of news, websites where people pay for their stories, and while the idea is very close to that of newspapers,

Tiger Woods

Recently Mr. Woods was involved in a car accident that police attribute to "reckless driving." There were no injuries to anyone as Woods hit a tree and a fire hydrant. While this is not a big deal, it seems that the media is making a big deal out of it, and therefore i am adding it to this blog because of that. As i read the article on BBC World News, (found at here,) it reminds me of other articles i have read on the subject. Such articles give mention to a possible affair that Tiger Woods may be having, which he denied on his personal website (http://web.tigerwoods.com/index). Due to injury from the accident, Woods claims he cannot play, and therefore has dropped out of his own tournament, the Chevron World Challenge.

Funny Video by Wanda Sykes :

30,000 more troops...

President Obama has just made the decision to send 30,000 additional troops to the front in Afghanistan. This decision obviously comes with heavy heart, however the President believes it is necessary in order to withdraw by 2011. "I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force" quoted Obama in his speech today at Westpoint Military Academy.

President Obama believes the Taliban has gained "momentum" and that it is necessary to increase troops because at the moment we will not be able to sustain conditions.

This worries many who have already doubted the President's withdrawal plan for 2011.


An article with a video:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/01/obama.afghanistan/index.html

Secuity Breach at the White House

Michaele and Tareq Salahi attended the State dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week after not being invited. At the moment they are cooperating with the Secret Service investigation as to how they crashed the dinner.

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Luckily the party crashers were subject to the same security checks as the rest of the guests, however it is unsettling that they were able to walk in through the front door.

For the full story, visit the CNN article at:http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Couple-Crashes-White-House-State-Dinner-Investigation-Launched-74650777.html

(Just for kicks, another clip of the daily show)

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Moment of Zen - Uninvited Crazy Person at the White House
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GM on the "Fritz"

Today the now former General Motors executive chief Fritz Henderson announced he was stepping down from the organization. This comes as a shock to everyone within GM. This means general motors will have lost its third CEO within one year. Chairman Ed Whitacre has stepped up as temporary CEO until a replacement has been found.



This is especially surprising after Henderson's speech to the SCC about reconstructing GM. This video of this can be found at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhdPQB1qepk&feature=PlayList&p=F144C5DCA5ECE0C6&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=77

Henderson was the replacement for Rick Wagner who was fired from his job by the Obama Administration after the bailout.

There has been no answer to why Henderson left or what the future of the company entails.

The CNN article can be found : http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/01/autos/gm_henderson/index.htm

Speed of News

Before, one would have to wait weeks, if not months to receive news. However in today's technological world, you can pick up your hand-held device and find the news as it breaks. for instance, by utilizing the internet, CNN.com (and other sites of course) is able to write press releases within 10 minutes of the story actually happening. This is often the case, and leads to a faster informed nation. The speed of the internet, however, in reporting news has devastated the newspaper industry



Hopefully the news industry will not fall due to free internet news, however at the moment, it is looking that way.

British Sailers Captured By Iran

Again British civilians have been captured and taken into Iran. A week ago, five British sailors on their way to a gulf yacht race were captured by the Iranian Navy. Officials from London contacted those in Tehran, and Britain is being assured that the crew members are being treated properly.

British officials believe that the boat, after its propeller was damaged, strayed into Iranian waters. In March of 2007, British crew members of the HMS Cornwall were taken hostage at gunpoint.



In addition, three Americans were taken hostage after straying across the Iranian border while hiking. These Americans may be put on trial due to the fact that they were labeled as spies by the Iranian government.

This event occurs just after relations between Britain and Iran have weakened due to Iran's announcement to build ten nuclear enriching facilities. Many are hoping that these "hostages" will not be used as a factor in negotiation so the enriching stations will be approved.

The Guardian reports all of this and more in this article.