Bing Live

denali_en-us794296373Bing Live

Microsoft’s new search engine, Bing is now live. I’ve tried it a few times with mixed results, it is pretty and does have new features however.

The good news is that Microsoft and Bill Gates have been busy buying into regional news outlets and small town papers the past few years, which means when you are looking for the local immediate source for a hot news item they may have it sooner.

In the recent slaying in Arkansas, AP had one story out the first day, but initially it was very thin on information; searching Bing brought me immediately to the local station where they had much more story and some video, while google and yahoo did not have the link. This is important to us newshounds.

When searching for the Tiller shooting, there were many more links in the Google “wall of mud” search, but it was a chore going through them for the pertinent and not just repetition of what was already out. Bing provided a link to pitch.com, which had a picture of the car and arrest of suspect. So pluses for that.

Now the bad news: you do get fewer returns with Bing, but they are quality. You also have to hit “more” and drop down if you just want to sort for news, a step you don’t have with Google since “news’ sort is in their header.

The video below from John4Lakers covers most of the new features

I’ll be making more comparisons in the future as I continue to try out Bing vs Google.

Pelosi Prevaricates

Pelosi Prevaricates

Forty briefings: those squawking the loudest about enhanced interrogation techniques knew about it. If President Bush is a war criminal for this then so is Speaker Pelosi. See the video below where the  hypocrisy abounds:

Morning Update; Gitmo, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and more

Normally I spend the morning surfing news and the web and posting newslinks at Little Green Footballs but Charles’ site is serving a blank once you get below the header ad this morning, so I’ll do my updates here. Here’s a picture to look at while I’m compiling.
UPDATE: It appears that Charles at LGF is going through the tribulations of installing new, beefier servers, give him time and things will be back faster than ever.

Obama’s Plan to Close Guantanamo Forces Decision About Inmates

Obama Picks Richardson (ermmm… how well will he get along with Hillary?)

Celebrities are fighting like mad to be part of “The In Crowd” on January 20th. (We got our own way of walkin… we got our own way of talkin…)

In Israel this is probably a case of the “relief” organization not letting the Israelis search the ship for weapons before entry, a precaution performed at every port in the world, but FWIW, Libya in High Dudgeon calls for Security Council Intervention.

Meanwhile the tense situation continues over the Mumbai terror attacks, but I do believe that both governments are calmer than the usual incendiary political talking heads on both sides of the issue would have you believe. From various reports I’ve seen that the nuclear readiness on either side has not increased, troops have not moved or been reinforced at borders, and talking between the governments proceeds. India has demanded that Pakistan hand over the terror masterminds and accomplices, Zardari in Pakistan is saying that the terrorists are “stateless” actors, and that in no way was the government of Pakistan involved. At this point I believe it, right now Pakistan is desperate for more trade with India.

UPDATE: Rice to Zardari: (in different and more words) ‘ If you don’t take care of those terror training camps we don’t care if India does…’

The Daily suicide bombing or Taliban attack has occurred in Pakistan, and it appears that they are stepping up raids in urban areas, rounding up the usual suspects. Here’s a list of India’s most wanted, if Pakistan could find some of these terrorists and turn them over it would ease tensions a great deal.

The Governor of Kandahar, General Raufi, whose watch the Taliban jail break occurred on is stepping down after a short four months in position.

On the domestic front the Millenium Bomber, who has been singing like a bird, is back in court.

Industrial Scale Wind Energy is not pure as the driven snow, and here’s some interesting graphics on various power sources. There’s also that small problem that Wind turbines have with icing.

In Thailand the Airports have re-opened with the demonstrators leaving after the court ouster of the PM.

The New Anglicans appear to be splitting from the pack, with a new conservative schism forming in the Episcopalian church in North America.

Hot Air discusses opposition to Anti-Gay Adoption laws, the conflict comes when you turn pro-children or pro-family into anti-gay. It’s mostly religious conservatives behind the laws, but as I’ve pointed out here gays do have children already. While it’s preferred to place children in male-female families, it is so preferred that some children get no parents at all?

Pizza Prisoner Bomber gets 45 Years

FBI Questioning Rezko-Obama Property Deal

This story is being put out today as if it were fresh, but … it’s not quite. Kenneth J. Conner is stating that the FBI questioned him regarding appraisals of the Obama – Rezko properties, there’s a new story in the Washington Times. There are a few things to consider here before you go over the top with this breaking story:

So this could be opportunistic timing that turns out to be nada, or maybe we will see some arrests or new indictments. Was there something fishy about the Obama land deal? My nose leads me to believe that something smells in the state of Illinois, but time will tell this tale.

Zawahiri Rumor Update: Mehsud Letter Likely Forged

This is an update to the previous story from CBS with rumors of Zawahiri’s injury or death from the July 29th strike in Pakistan. WIth help from Pakistan the document has been examined by experts – the letterhead appears too old, one no longer used since Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was consolidated under Baitullah Mehsud, it’s in Pashto instead of Urdu, and doubt was expressed about the signature. More from Dawn:

They noted that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan no longer used the letterhead. According to them, they now used an Urdu letterhead while the one shown by CBS was in Pashto.

Mehsud’s signature also seemed different from the one he usually uses.

The letter is dated July 29, a day after a US missile strike killed six people, including an Al Qaeda chemical and biological weapons expert near Azam Warsak village.

A Mehsud spokesman Maulvi Umar, however, rejected the letter and said it was a fake. “We deny it categorically,” he said

The remaining question is whether CBS will take up the “fake but accurate” defense in this case.

UPDATE: US Intelligence: Zawahiri not Believed to be Dead or Injured

RIP Tony Snow

Tony Snow is a commentator and analyst who will be missed greatly. He was one of the sane people in the news business, never delving into vitriol and vinegar, but unafraid to ask the important questions. He was blessed with an optimism many in the beltway could use, and let us hope there are budding journalists out there who value Tony’s contribution and who will follow in the example he set.

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