Jun 16-22, 2010
The Daily Show Co-Creator Brings Solo Act to Burlington; Local Cinemas Add Dimension; A Dad’s Dilemma at the Ballpark
IBM-Vermont to Manufacture High-Security Chips Used in E-Passports
***** UPDATED BELOW with correction ***** IBM in Essex Junction will soon begin manufacturing the high-security chips embedded in a number of different electronic documents, including the “e-passports” issued by the United States and other countries around the world, according to an announcement today by the chip’s designer, Infineon Technologies of Neubiberg, Germany. The new…
“Kane” Saves Newspapers
Via Fake Steve Jobs (and Meghan Dewald — thanks for the tip!), here’s the trailer for a “proposed remake” of Citizen Kane, in which Kane sets out to save the newspaper industry. (Warning: Clip includes a couple naughty words, lots of comedic violence, and some unconvincing fake blood.)
Welch Grills BP CEO, Asks Him to Resign
During a Congressional hearing Thursday, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) bluntly asked BP CEO Tony Hayward if the embattled executive should resign. Welch sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the panel’s Energy and Environment Subcomittee. The latter held a hearing on the BP oil spill where Hayward faced a barrage of questions,…
Sidewalk Sitting Ban Nixed in Burlington – For Now
After a three-hour hearing, the Burlington City Council’s Ordinance Committee shelved plans to ban sitting or lying down on select downtown city sidewalks. More than 50 people packed a City Hall conference room — almost double its legal capacity according to the city’s fire code — to weigh in on the proposal. The three-member committee…
Front Porch Forum Wins Knight News Challenge Grant
Wow — Burlington-based Front Porch Forum just snagged a $220,000 grant from the Knight News Challenge. FPF was one of 12 innovative media projects that received $2.74 million in the latest round of awards. For the uninitiated, FPF connects neighborhoods via email news digests written by and for neighbors. The service is already available in…
A Bridge, Erected
Jalopnik is reporting that a Russian drawbridge has been defaced with a drawing of a giant penis. Now, as motorist sit and wait, they can enjoy a much more entertaining “erection” of the bridge. The best part of this blog post? The comments, of course. All of these come from the same contributor: “Now that’s…
Nunyuns News
Ever since Nunyuns opened on the corner of North and North Champlain streets the day before Thanksgiving in 2008, a question has loomed: “When the hell are they gonna take down the Scrumptious sign?” The ladylike little bakery closed half a decade ago, so why did the giant yellow teapot still preside over Nunyuns’ earthier…
Finally Susan
The senator from Lamoille County is telling it straight, but is anybody listening?
Free Will Astrology
Here’s the weekly astrological forecast for June 16 – 23, 2010. What’s your sign, baby? They’re all here… ARIES (March 21-April 19): Istanbul is the world’s only megacity that spans two continents. Many Turkish commuters take the 15-minute ferry ride across the Bosphorus Strait, traveling from their suburban homes in Asia to the urban sprawl…
Resort Renewed
At today’s Trapp Family Lodge, the hills are alive with the sound of … mountain biking.
State Workers Endorse Democrat Doug Racine
Depending on your preferred sports metaphor — hockey or horse racing — Democrat Doug Racine just landed a hat trick or a trifecta with today’s endorsement by the state’s third-largest union: The Vermont State Employees Association. Just nine days ago, Racine received the backing of the state’s two largest unions – the Vermont AFL-CIO and…
News Quirks
Curses, Foiled Again Authorities investigating a bank robbery in St. Cloud, Minn., nabbed their suspect after officials at Mystic Lake Casino observed him depositing cash into slot machines in exchange for credit slips. “In effect, he was laundering his money through the casino,” police Sgt. Martin Sayre said. Casino officials became suspicious because Salamo Nam…
Letters to the Editor
Hydro-Québec — Again When Seven Days agreed with the Vermont Senate that Hydro-Québec provides “renewable” energy, it failed to include an exposé of the pressure and arm twisting that proceeded that unfortunate decision to help HQ make more money [“Facing Facts,” May 12]. It also failed to question HQ’s desperate need to present itself as…
Buffalo Sojourn
Art Review: Barbara Wagner, recent mixed-media paintings, Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery, Shelburne. Through July 6.
Innovative Vermonters Compete for Prize
Another day, another chance to root for Vermonters. In this case, to win hefty cash prizes — totalling $50,000 — for improving this pitiful world. Woo-hoo! Sponsored by Ashoka’s Changemakers and Vermont’s Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, “Revelation to Action” is an online competition that identifies, and rewards, the most innovative “solutions to building communities” in…
