Teh interesting (non-PHL-related) news stub thread

[Twin-Skies]

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U.S. teen lives 118 days without heart

Big deal - Dick Cheney's survived 2920 days without a heart, and counting!

South Korea to Invest $2 Billion to Create Energy Sector Jobs

Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) -- South Korea plans to invest 2.8 trillion won ($1.9 billion) in utilities and alternative energy to create jobs as part of its efforts to prevent the economy from sinking into its first recession in a decade.

The funds, which will be used to expand electricity, gas and nuclear facilities and boost the use of renewable energy, will create 12,400 jobs next year, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said in a statement today.

A 43 percent plunge this year in South Korea’s benchmark equity index and rising food costs have eroded household wealth and the global financial crisis has weakened exports, prompting companies to rein in hiring. Economic growth cooled to the weakest in four years last quarter and jobs grew in September at the slowest pace since 2005.

Holy shit - 2.8 trillion won sounds like a lot of cash. I envy them - their gov't seems to know how exactly to face the economic crunch we're all facing right now. And all our own politicians can think of right now is charter change and Joc-Joc. In short - clusterfuck.

Inquiry Set on Mormon Aid for California Marriage Vote

SAN FRANCISCO — California officials will investigate accusations that the Mormon Church neglected to report a battery of nonmonetary contributions — including phone banks, a Web site and commercials — on behalf of a ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage.

Roman Porter, the executive director of the Fair Political Practices Commission, which oversees California campaign finance laws, signed off on the investigation after reviewing a sworn complaint filed on Nov. 13.

The complaint, filed by Fred Karger, founder of the group Californians Against Hate, asserted that the church’s reported contributions — about $5,000, according to state election filings — vastly underestimated its actual efforts in passing Proposition 8, which amended the state’s Constitution to recognize only male-female marriage.

I like where this is going. It's about damn time religious organizations that try to curtail the basic rights of the people are hit with an inquisition of their own