7-Eleven launches campaign to change its image

Franchise owners told to start serving more veggies and fruit

Sliced carrots reportedly are in 7-Eleven's future. It's part of a plan the chain is implementing to change its image. Company executives are seeking to go beyond beer, cigarettes and beef jerky. Details: San Francisco Chronicle.

Via: The Obscure Store and Reading Room and Media Orchard.


Tags: 7-Eleven, Marketing, PR, Public Relations, Advertising, Media by Sistrunk

Specter proposes guest worker program

Immigration plan would have no citizenship guarantee

An immigration reform bill unveiled Friday would create a guest worker program and give legal status - but not guaranteed citizenship - to about 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a draft of his immigration proposals as the Senate prepares to return to Capitol Hill

The Specter bill would require temporary workers to return after six years and doesn't provide an avenue for citizenship, unlike a guest worker program proposed by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass.

President Bush has made passage of a guest worker program a priority.

Another provision in the Specter bill would legalize the undocumented immigrants now living in the United States, but wouldn't allow them to become permanent citizens.

Hispanic and immigrant rights groups are voicing concerns about the citizenship provision. The San Antonio Express-News has more.


Related: 'Anchor babies', The debate over undocumented workers


Tags: Guest Workers, Birthright Citizenship, Illegal Immigrants, Arlen Specter, Politics, Current Affairs, Media by Sistrunk

Offbeat news

Headlines you may have missed

Mystery Blob Eating Downtown Los Angeles (Los Angeles Daily News)
Los Angeles officials are still scratching their heads over what caused a mysterious black goo to burble from streets downtown, forcing the evacuation hundreds of apartment dwellers.

Homeless Man Tries to Steal Sheep (Associated Press)
A homeless man who police say tried to take a sheep from the Little Rock Zoo has been arrested on numerous charges.

Man Gets 3 Years in Newlywed Carjacking (Associated Press)
A man accused of carjacking a newlywed couple with the bride in her wedding dress still in the vehicle has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading no contest to charges.

Police Say Burglar Sniffed Out His Victims (Associated Press)
A Japanese man arrested for alleged burglary picked his victims by sniffing women's homes for expensive perfume.

Woman, Ex-Fiance Settle Ring War (Associated Press)
A woman and her former fiance have reached an agreement in a legal dispute over a $35,000 engagement ring.


With thanks to The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Daily News.


Tag: Strange News, Media by Sistrunk

Search for survivors continues

Rescue workers in the Philippines dig toward 'knocking' sounds on school site

High-tech gear detected “signs of life” Monday at the site of an elementary school buried under up to 100 feet of mud that swept down a hillside soaked by rain in the eastern Philippines, officials said. Rescue workers refused to give up hope of finding survivors.

Authorities say that sounds of scratching and tapping were picked up by seismic sensors and sound-detection gear brought in by U.S. and Malaysian forces. Generator-powered lights were set up to allow teams of rescue workers to dig through the sludge during the night.

The search for survivors in the farming village of Guinsaugon focused on the school because of reports that some of the 250-300 children and teachers believed trapped inside may have sent cell phone text messages to relatives soon after Friday's disaster. Details from the Philippine Star.


Tags: Philippines, Mudslides, Landslides, Media by Sistrunk

NBA All-Star Saturday

Nate's dunk and judges' decision raise eyebrows

It's been a couple of days, but people are still talking about it. "It" is the NBA's All-Star Saturday. A big guy won the 3-point shootout. A little guy won the slam dunk contest.

The honors go to 7-foot Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas for winning the 3-point shooting contest - and to New York Knicks rookie Nate Robinson, who, at 5-foot-9, became the NBA's new jam king. Robinson's performance - and the decision by the judges - forced the crowd to its feet.

Robinson beat out 6-foot-6 Andre Iguodala of Philadelphia, 6-9 Hakim Warrick of Memphis and 6-9 defending champ Josh Smith of Atlanta, conjuring up memories of Spud Webb. Robinson then dunked over the smallest slam champ in NBA history. Some call it skill; others call it theatrics. The story of the dunk contest, however, was the Iguodala/Robinson showdown, in which Robinson missed more than 20 total dunks and still won.

Copyblogger Brian Clark weighs in with an interesting perspective on the big event. Check out his post, The Definition of Irony.

Related: Slam Dunk contest scoring raises plenty of questions


Tags: NBA, Basketball, Nate Robinson, Sports, Media by Sistrunk

Mudslide in the Philippines: Follow-up

Search and rescue efforts continue

In the southern Philippines, the sun was shining on Sunday, after almost nonstop rain for nearly two weeks. Officially, the landslide on Friday, one of the worst in this country in recent memory, killed 57 people. However, more than 1,800 are still missing, including more than 200 school children. Rescuers were still hampered by the soft mud that covered practically every inch of this village.

A United States military team arrived Sunday to assess the situation and provide help. Two American military vessels and two helicopters arrived late Sunday morning. Here's an update from ABC News.

Related: Disaster Prone: Landslides, Stampedes, Earthquakes, Eruptions (Filipino Librarian)


Tags: Philippines, Mudslides, Landslides, Media by Sistrunk

In pursuit of self-publishing

Another way to get your book to your readers

More and more authors are taking a look at self-publishing as an alternative to traditional publishing. To a writer, self-publishing is a powerful and alluring concept. On the simplest level, it's an intriguing solution to an age old problem - how to get your words to a wide audience. On a more artistic level, it is a unique extension of the creative process.

Jill Ronsley (pictured above, right) should know. She's been an editor and book designer since the mid-1980s. She is also the founder of Sun Edit Write, a company that provides editing, book design and typesetting services. Highly respected by her peers, Ronsley recently was named "Best Book Editor 2005" the by the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll.

If you're a writer considering an alternative to traditional publishing, check out Ronsley's informative article, Self-Publishing Helpful Hints. Scroll down the page to the fourth link.


Tags: Self-Publishing, Publishing, Books, Writing, Media by Sistrunk

Philippines: Mudslide in pictures

BBC Photos

Eyewitness: 'Mountain collapsed'


Tags: Philippines, Mudslides, Landslides, Media by Sistrunk

Philippine landslide buries homes, school

Rescue operations mobilized

A mudslide has buried hundreds of homes and an elementary school packed with children in the eastern Philippines, officials said. At last report, Philippine Red Cross officials estimated that at least 300 people are dead and another 1,500 are missing. Initial reports confirmed that four bodies had been recovered and that 24 were injured. The higher numbers are losses feared from a village in southern Leyte Island.

This morning, the landslide raced down a mountainside on the island, burying 500 houses in Guinsahugon village in St. Bernard town. The elementary school was in session when the mudslide struck.

The tragedy follows two weeks of nonstop rains. Details from BBC News.


Tags: Philippines, Mudslides, Landslides, Media by Sistrunk

Ashton Kutcher signs with AOL

Will produce series for Internet giant

Ashton Kutcher is the latest celebrity producer to sign with America Online to create an original series for the portal. The as-yet-unnamed project from Kutcher will include five programs, each with 20 mini-episodes, which will be available on AOL.com and AOL's instant messenger service starting in late spring. Kutcher is developing the series through his production company, Katalyst Films.

Jason Goldberg, Kutcher’s partner with whom he developed “Beauty and the Geek” for WB and “Punk’d” for MTV, said the programs will have “attitude” and will feature real people - no celebrities - and have an edgy, youth-oriented tone.

Last month, AOL announced that it was bringing Mark Burnett Productions on board. Burnett, the man who brough "reality" to TV, produces the hit shows “The Apprentice” and “Survivor.” For AOL, Burnett will create an online treasure hunt series called “Gold Rush.”

AOL is pushing to produce original content as part of its strategy to become an online programming leader. The goal: to attract a larger audience to the retooled, video-rich AOL.com. The Internet giant is also partnering with its corporate sibling, Warner Bros., to offer thousands of full-length TV episodes from the Warner Bros. library. This will be done through a new channel called In2TV. AOL and Warner Bros. are divisions of Time Warner.

Via: AdAge.com

Tags: Ashton Kutcher, AOL, Internet, Technology, Entertainment, Television, Media by Sistrunk

Popular health programs face Bush cuts

Funding could end for some health clinics and programs supporting patients with heart disease and Alzheimer's

President Bush's 2007 budget, if enacted, would eliminate federal programs that support inner-city Indian health clinics, defibrillators in rural areas, an educational campaign about Alzheimer's disease, centers for traumatic brain injuries, and a nationwide registry for Lou Gehrig's disease. It would cut close to $1 billion in health care grants to states. The president, instead, has requested billions more to prepare for potential disasters such as a biological attack or an flu epidemic.

A spokesman for the American Heart Association says he can't understand why the administration has recommended eliminating a $1.5 million program that provides defibrillators to rural communities and trains local personnel on how to use the machines to restart hearts that go into cardiac arrest. Heart disease is a major killer in the U.S.

The 2007 budget would discontinue $12 million in state grants for community-based Alzheimer's care and a $1.6 million "Maintain Your Brain" campaign run out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, more than 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's, a number expected to rise to 16 million by mid-century. Other programs on the chopping block include a $10 million newborn screening initiative and $20 million in grants to train emergency medical personnel to care for children.

The Department of Health and Human Resources defends the cuts, noting that the budget has an adequate amount of funding going into Alzheimer's. Critics once again cry that the Bush administration is choosing tax cuts for the wealthy over services that benefit the poor. More from the Washington Post.

Tags: Bush Budget, Bush, Politics, Healthcare, Health, Media by Sistrunk

Arson suspected as fire destroys another Alabama church

10th church torched in two weeks

A Baptist church in Alabama has been severely damaged by fire, in what investigators say is the 10th arson attack in less than two weeks. Police suspect that the fires, which have gutted Baptist churches across the state, are linked.

Police are still trying to determine the motive. Five of the churches have mainly black congregations. The other five are predominantly white.

The latest fire happened on Saturday at Beaverton in northwest Alabama. Investigators said it was deliberately set. Details from CNN.

Tags: Church Fires, Media by Sistrunk

Examining the popularity of book clubs

An author chronicles her experience

When Curtis Sittenfeld (pictured right) began visiting book clubs after her first novel was published, she found that her experiences were not the "estrogen-suffused love fests I'd envisioned." Intrigued? Then read Sittenfeld's essay in the New York Times, You Hate Me, You Really Hate Me.

Sittenfeld, by the way, became the target of some unflattering comments by another author, Jennifer Weiner, on the topic of chick lit (literature that appeals to women). A post last July on Weiner's blog offers interesting insight into the divide that appears to exist among some women writers. To read Weiner's post and decide for yourself if it has any merit, click here.


Tags: Book Clubs, Curtis Sittenfeld, Books, Publishing, Writing, Media by Sistrunk

More Katrina evictions set for Monday

Lawyers file temporary restraining order to halt the action

Attorneys have asked for a temporary restraining order to stop the evictions of 12,000 Katrina and Rita families from hotels across the nation. Over the weekend, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that the victims, left homeless by the hurricanes, must be out of their federally funded hotels by Monday.

That amounts to about 40,000 people, many of whom have not received trailers as promised and some who did not find out about the eviction until the beginning of the month. Many of them spent the weekend scurrying to find new homes.

Affected families are getting legal help from Bill Quigley, an assistant dean of the Loyola University Law School, who with civil rights attorney Tracie Washington filed the motion. More from the Washington Post.

Related: Report Spreads Blame for Katrina Failures


Tags: Katrina, Hurricane, FEMA, Homeless, Media by Sistrunk

Freedom for TV lovers

New technology changes consumers' relationship to television

TV - when and where you want it. As media and technology industries offer new modes of watching video, the box in the living room or bedroom no longer dictates when and where we watch television programming. The Washington Post explains.


Tags: Television, TV, Video, Technology, Media, Culture, Media by Sistrunk

On the lighter side

Ghost

An enterprising journalist decides to get the scoop of the day by photographing the fearsome phantom that lives in the house at the edge of town. Armed only with his camera he bravely enters the house, and at once the ghost descends upon him, clanking chains and moaning.

"I mean no harm," pleads the journalist quickly. "I just want your photograph. Don't you want to be in the paper?"

Turns out the ghost is human enough to want to make headlines, and willingly poses for quite a few shots. The ecstatic journalist immediately rushes back to his darkroom to begin developing the photographs. However, they are so underexposed that nothing can be seen in them.

Seems the spirit was willing, but the flash was weak.

Via: Smile of the Day


Tags: Ghosts, Smile of the Day, Media by Sistrunk

Offbeat news

Headlines you may have missed

Man Rolls His Pickup, Girlfriend's SUV on Same Day
(Associated Press)
A New York man is charged in a couple of auto wrecks that have landed him in the hospital.

Valentine's a Crisis Day for Cheaters
(The Wall Street Journal)
Valentine's Day is the biggest single 24-hour period for florists, a huge event for greeting-card companies and a boon for candy makers. But it's also a major crisis day for anyone who is having an affair.

Woman Whistles Through Her Toes
(Associated Press)
One Oklahoma woman might get cold feet if she comes to New York and tries to hail a cab. But Betty Bell will have to do just that if she's going to whistle.

Burglar Eats, Watches TV and Checks E-Mail
(Associated Press)
Authorities are seeking a burglar who allegedly took the time to make coffee, cook and eat meals, take showers, pick out a change of clothes, watch television and check his e-mail while inside three rural homes.

Oops! - Bush Unaware Mikes Were Still On
(Associated Press)
The president apparently believed he was speaking privately when he talked about listening in without a warrant on domestic communications with suspected al-Qaida terrorists overseas. But reporters were the ones doing the listening in this time.


With thanks to The Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal.


Tag: Strange News, Media by Sistrunk

Innocent fun or harassment?

Flirting without disaster

Is flirting in the workplace acceptable? Yes, say some researchers, as long as both parties enjoy the exchange. Casual social interaction on the job definitely has some gray areas, and clueless cubicle dwellers may be at a loss when it comes to identifying boundaries. Scott Reeves explores this topic - and identifies some of the pitfalls to avoid - on Forbes.com.


Tags: Flirting, Workplace, Careers, Business, Culture, Media by Sistrunk

Deadly blast hits Pakistan's northwest region

Explosion leaves at least 27 dead and dozens injured during Muslim holiday

A suicide bomb ripped through a Shiite Muslim procession Thursday in northwestern Pakistan, sparking riots during the Muslim sect's most important holiday. At least 27 people were killed and dozens injured in the violence, officials said. Some news agencies say as many as 35 are dead.

Shiites went on a rampage after the explosion, burning shops and cars in Hangu, about 125 miles southwest of the capital, Islamabad, district police chief Ayub Khan said. Army troops later took control of the area and a curfew was imposed.

Khan said 23 people died in the bombing and riots that followed. Officials reported gunfire between groups of rioters and security forces. Aziz ur-Rahman, a commander of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary, said three men and a woman died in a separate shooting on a minibus on the outskirts of the town.

Violence also marred a festival marking Ashura in Afghanistan, where at least five people were killed in clashes and rioting between Shiites and Sunnis in the western city of Herat, near the Iranian border. Details from MSNBC.com.

(On a personal note, I'll be glad when I hear from some of our blogging buddies in Pakistan.)


Tags: Pakistan, South Asia, Islam, Muslim, Ashura, Muharram, Media by Sistrunk

FEMA's shortcomings revealed before Katrina disaster

Managerial and communications weaknesses cited

Unclear lines of communication within the agency. An absence of top-level emergency management expertise. Low morale. Lack of manpower, training and money.

These are the findings of an independent study of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The study was conducted in 2005 before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. As CNN reports, the report identified FEMA's managerial and logistical weaknesses months before its heavily criticized response to Katrina.

Meanwhile, former disaster agency chief Michael Brown is indicating he is ready to reveal his correspondence with President Bush and other officials during Hurricane Katrina unless the White House forbids it and offers legal support. Brown's stance, in a letter obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, follows senators' complaints that the White House is refusing to answer questions or release documents about advice given to Bush concerning the Aug. 29 storm.

Brown quit as director of the FEMA days after Katrina struck. He left the federal payroll Nov. 2.

Tags: Katrina, Hurricane, FEMA, Homeless, Media by Sistrunk

Some Katrina families turned out of hotels

FEMA begins cutting off money

More than 4,500 Hurricane Katrina evacuees checked out of their government-paid hotel rooms Tuesday as the Federal Emergency Management Agency began cutting off money to pay for their stays. More than 20,000 storm victims were given extensions by FEMA until at least next week and possibly until March 1, said an agency spokesman. The Baltimore Sun has details.

Related: Katrina Survivors Rally in D.C. for Rebuilt New Orleans


Tags: Katrina, Hurricane, FEMA, Homeless, Media by Sistrunk

Cartoons continue to fuel unrest

World leaders appeal for end to violence

Cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published in several European newspapers continue to outrage Muslims around the world. After days of violent protests that have claimed several lives, the conflict has pushed both sides across an unexpected threshold, where they view each other with frustration and suspicion, often trading inflammatory accusations.

As the protests have spread, some Europeans have come to realize that relatively small Muslim minorities - three percent in Britain, four percent in Denmark and around five percent in the European Union - can wield power across the Islamic world. Many moderate Muslims in Denmark have been shocked by the violence and deaths around the world prompted by the row over Danish cartoons using satire to portray the Prophet Muhammad.

According to Voice of America, the second largest Islamic organization in Indonesia has called for Muslims to forgive the publication of drawings.

The 12 caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad published last year originally appeared in the best-selling Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September to accompany an editorial criticizing self-censorship in the Danish media. Since then some media outlets have republished the pictures in solidarity, while others have refrained from publishing them to avoid causing offense to their audiences.

The backlash resulting from the publishing of the cartoons has prompted fierce debate among journalists. Western dailies cite free speech as the reason for printing the questionable images.

President Bush today pleaded for an end to violence. A leading Muslim organization in Afghanistan is also calling for an end to the violence. Police there shot four protesters to death today to stop hundreds from marching on a southern U.S. military base. Middle East unrest also continues.

This story is taking on a technology angle. The furor over the cartoons is now is being felt on the Internet, where hackers have struck down and defaced hundreds of Danish Web sites over the past week. More from PC World.com.

Related: Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post

Tags: Muhammad Cartoons, Islam, Muslim, Media by Sistrunk

Remembering Coretta Scott King

Interactive Obituary - The Associated Press

Yahoo, AOL will charge fees to cut spam

Decision starting to make waves in the marketing world

Yahoo and America Online, two of the largest e-mail account providers, plan to charge senders a fee to route their e-mail directly to a user's mailbox without first passing through junk mail filters, representatives of both companies said Sunday. The fees represent the companies' latest attempt to weed out spam (unsolicited mail) and identity-theft scams.

America Online's plan to start charging businesses to send commercial e-mail messages is creating an uproar among some marketers, according to USA Today. Some marketers argue AOL's plan to implement a certified e-mail system, which could charge advertisers $2 to $3 per 1,000 messages, is a form of e-mail taxation, reports said. Other news sources report that the fees would cost up to 1 cent per e-mail.

Senders will be guaranteed their messages won't be filtered and will bear a seal alerting recipients they're legitimate. Details from USA Today and CNNMoney.com.


Tags: Email, Spam, Yahoo, AOL, Media by Sistrunk

Busta Rhymes' bodyguard murdered

Israel Ramirez shot in the chest during video shoot

A bodyguard for hip-hop star Busta Rhymes was shot dead during a music video shoot Sunday morning. Israel Ramirez, 30, was shot once in the chest, police said. Busta Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Smith, was not injured. Police identified Ramirez as a personal bodyguard for Smith.

Police said they are looking into newspaper reports that the shooting resulted from an altercation between production personnel and members of the entourage of one of several celebrities on hand for the video shoot. More from Rolling Stone and WCBS-TV.

Tags: News, Hip-Hop, Rap, Entertainment, Media by Sistrunk

Bill Clinton to launch effort to help Katrina families

Tax initiative could help low-income workers

Victims of Hurricane Katrina may be eligible for the earned income tax credit (EITC). If they qualify, they may claim the refund.

Former President Bill Clinton announces a tax initiative to help Katrina families. Millions of people meet the requirements for the EITC, which refunds payroll and income taxes to low-wage workers, but do not claim it. Some poor families can be credited as much as $4,400, depending on their earnings and number of eligible children. Details from The Associated Press/Newsday.

Related: Clinton Foundation


Tags: Earned Income Tax Credit, Katrina, Gulf Coast, African-American, News, Media by Sistrunk

Offbeat news

Headlines you may have missed

Students in Tutus Saved from Mountain Road (Associated Press)
Two dozen Caltech students wearing Superman capes, tutus and other odd attire as part of a hazing stunt were rescued after getting stranded on the Mount Wilson Toll Road.

Shark a Reel Surprise (Canadian Press)
A shark the length of a car has been reeled in by a woman out for a day of ice fishing.

Woman Downs 26 Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (Associated Press)
A 100-pound woman ate 26 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes at a New York restaurant, winning the World Grilled Cheese Eating Championship.

Punching Horse May Land Man in Deep, Uh, Trouble (Associated Press)
A 24-year-old man could be shoveling horse manure as part of his punishment for punching a police horse.

And, finally, a 'miracle':

Ski Holiday Ride 'Cures' Deaf Man (BBC News)
A former soldier who lost his hearing 15 years ago has suddenly regained it on a ski lift in the Italian Dolomites.

With thanks to The Associated Press, Canadian Press and BBC News


Tag: Strange News, Media by Sistrunk

Microsoft unveils blog policy

Company responds to critics

Microsoft Corp. outlined a policy for handling government restrictions on personal Web sites, as large U.S. companies such as Microsoft, Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. grapple with government censorship as they expand into China and other countries. Microsoft continues to get criticism for taking down the blog of outspoken an Chinese journalist. On Tuesday the Internet giant revealed its policy for accessing content on its blogging service MSN Spaces. Under the new rules, Microsoft will remove access to blog content only when it receives a government-issued, legally binding notice indicating that the material violates local laws.

In addition, Microsoft is calling for an international dialogue to establish a set of principles for Internet companies with blogging services in different regions of the world. More from the Seattle Times.


Related: InformationWeek


Tags: Microsoft, MSN Spaces, Censorship, Blogging, Blogs, Weblogs, Online Journalism, Journalism, Media by Sistrunk