Breaking Tweets » Tony Valdivieso

‘Beltway sniper’ execution fuels death penalty discussion on Twitter

Tony Valdivieso — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:54:19 +0000

John Allen Muhammad terrorized the Washington D.C. area with Lee Boyd Malvo, killing ten people in 2002. Muhammad, better known as the ‘Beltway sniper’, now sits on death row, his fate all but sealed. He is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection Tuesday evening in Virginia.

According to CNN, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine denied a clemency request from Muhammad’s lawyers, closing off what is likely to be his last avenue of appeal early Tuesday. “I find no compelling reason to set aside the sentence that was recommended by the jury and then imposed and affirmed by the courts,” Kaine wrote in a statement released Tuesday. “Accordingly, I decline to intervene.”

Kaine’s statement came after the US Supreme Court rejected an appeal for a stay of execution from Muhammad’s lawyers on Monday. “We have allowed Virginia to truncate our deliberative process on a matter… that demands the most careful attention,” said Justice John Paul Stevens according to the New York Times.

While most Twitter users bid Muhammad a less than fond farewell, some used their tweets and the situation to argue against the death penalty:

anjxoxo (California) How do you feel about the death penalty? Are you ready for justice to be served? Or is a death sentence an unjust form of punishment? 09 Nov 2009 from web

whygreenberg (Brooklyn, NY) END DEATH PENALTY! RT @markknoller: SCOTUS denies stay of execution for DC sniper John Allen Muhammed…scheduled 2 b put 2 death tomorrow. 09 Nov 2009 from Tweetie

heidiweimer (Nashville, TN) RT @cnnbrk Supreme Ct refuses 2 block Tues execution of D.C.-area sniper//Seriously can’t believe we still execute n the U.S. Pray 4 him.#fb 09 Nov 2009 from web

melmarinda (Columbia, MD) So sad about tomorrow’s scheduled execution of the dc sniper in VA. I’m sad for his family…particularly his son. I remember being afraid.. 10 Nov 2009 from web

RazorSharp215 (Philadelphia, PA) As an opponent of the death penalty, am I the only one not celebrating the execution of the DC sniper? Legalized murder… HOW BARBARIC! 10 Nov 2009 from web

brodiehubbard (Los Angeles, CA) I don’t think killing people is right. I didn’t like it when the Beltway Sniper did it, I don’t like it any better when the state does it. 10 Nov 2009 from web

MzPortr (Novato, CA) The “beltway sniper” John Muhammad will be executed today. Not sure how I feel about that yet. 10 Nov 2009 from UberTwitter

Muhammad and Malvo were arrested in October 2002. Malvo is currently serving life in prison.

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Facebook awarded $711 million in spam lawsuit

Tony Valdivieso — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:28:07 +0000

Facebook recently won another battle against spam, this time, dethroning the self-proclaimed king of spammers. Found guilty of violating a federal anti-spam law by a California judge, Sanford Wallace has been ordered to pay Facebook $711 million in a civil damages. Facebook originally sought $7 billion in damages.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Facebook claimed Wallace violated the federal anti-spam law, known as CAN-SPAM, roughly 14 million times. Wallace allegedly sent numerous Facebook members a link to a website which tricked them into revealing their login information. Wallace then used these accounts to spam the account holders’ friends with phony messages and wall posts.

“While we don’t expect to receive the vast majority of the award, we hope that this will act as a continued deterrent against these criminals,” read an official statement released by the Facebook legal team. “Most notably, the judge referred Wallace to the U.S. Attorney’s Office with a request that Wallace be prosecuted for criminal contempt, which means that in addition to the judgment, he now faces possible jail time. This is another important victory in our fight against spam. We will continue to pursue damages against other spammers.”

Rather than bidding the ’spam king’ a fond farewell, most Twitterers made light of the situation, some wanting to know what is going to happen to all that money:

IMN_ (Petersburg, VA) Facebook was awarded $711 million in a spam suit?? Are you kidding me?? Wtf! As if they needed any MORE funding for anything.. Capitalism :/ 30 Oct 2009 from UberTwitter

dwlz (Los Angeles, CA) It’s plain ridiculous that Facebook just got awarded $711 million in spam “damages”. What do the people who were spammed get, if anything? 30 Oct 2009 from web

badcharts (Austin, TX) Facebook awarded $711 million in case against spammer. I think this must have something to do with FarmTown updates. 30 Oct 2009 from HootSuite

KristofferMarc (California) Hi FaceBook, can i get in on that $711 million dollar settlement? No, that’s cool.How about having your iphone application actually work? 30 Oct 2009 from Tweetie

CubanCherub (Undisclosed) Facebook wins $711 million in spam lawsuit. FB said that the award, made in Calif, was the “2nd largest in history” for an anti-spam action. 30 Oct 2009 from web

helveticavtimes (Undisclosed) HvT: Facebook Spammer Has to Pay $711 Million, Your Annoying ‘Friends’ Still Free to Poke You 30 Oct 2009 from Twitter Tools

AaronDavidWard (Ballston Spa, NY) A spammer owes $234 million to MySpace and $711 million to Facebook…and millions of hours to social networkers who have to delete. 01 Nov 2009 from web

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TwitPics: 13 Aban, November 4 Iran protests

Tony Valdivieso — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:19:10 +0000

Supporters of the Iranian government and the opposition have both taken to the streets in Tehran today. Supporters are rallying to commemorate 13 Aban, which corresponds to November 4, the 30th anniversary of the U.S. embassy takeover by Iranian students. The opposition, on the other hand, is protesting the politics of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

According to Global Post, opposition leaders in Tehran, including Mir Hossein Mousavi himself, have called for peaceful protests on 13 Aban . “The 13th of Aban is a… rendezvous,” Mousavi told the Khaleej Times, “so we would remember anew that among us it is the people who are the leaders.”

“By targeting dates of historic significance to the regime, opposition supporters aim to ’subvert’ ideological symbols touted for 30 years by the Islamic Republic,” writes Tara Mahtafar of PBS, “…thereby re-brand[ing] that date as an ideology-free ‘green’ day, the trademark color of the country’s burgeoning pro-democracy movement.”

@Madyar

@dadashiii

@madyar

@GreenQuran

@madyar

@GreenQuran

@madyar

@GreenQuran

@madyar

@GreenQuran

@madyar

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First U.S. man since 1982 wins NYC Marathon

Tony Valdivieso — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:46:18 +0000

"Back from the race. Go USA! Meb Keflezighi is first American man to win marathon since '82." @TriciaWho

After a 27 year drought, an American won the New York City Marathon on Sunday. Meb Keflezighi, 34, became the first U.S. man to win the marathon since 1982. Alongside Keflezighi, five other Americans placed in the top ten.

Though Keflezighi took home a silver medal in 2004 Olympics marathon, his performance at the NYC marathon marked his first major marathon victory. “U.S.A. gave me all the opportunity in the world, education, sports, lifestyle… This is so special to me,” Keflezighi told the New York Times. He crossed the finish line with a personal best time of 2:09:15.

According to CNN, Keflezighi emigrated to California in 1987, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1998. One of 11 children, Keflezighi fled with his family from war-torn Eritrea during the countrys conflict with Ethiopia.

Twitterers were happy to learn of Keflezighi’s performance and accomplishment. It didn’t simply symbolize an American resurgence in the marathon; to many, it symbolized the American dream:

LarryJoe88 It was great to see the men’s winner break the tape with USA in bold letters across his chest. An American man won the NYC marathon! Cool. 01 Nov 2009 from TwitterBerry

erinbyrne Congrats @runmeb on winning the NYC marathon. Nice to have a winner running for the stars and stripes. 01 Nov 2009 from web

doccrynes Congrats to Meb K. First American winner of NYC Marathon since 1982…USA!…USA!…USA!!! 01 Nov 2009 from TweetDeck

HutchDeLoach Enjoyed the NY City Marathon on TV today. So exciting to see a USA men’s winner again after so long that I had to go for a run to celebrate! 01 Nov 2009 from web

BarbaraKB Winner of NYC marathon: another great story of US as the land of opportunity. 02 Nov 2009 from UberTwitter

vizval Winner of NY marathon said he’s living his dream. Dream big & bright and #visualize big & bright and you’ll live big & bright. 02 Nov 2009 from web

jonathanwolfson Can’t get any more American than good ol’ boy, winner of the men’s NYC marathon, #MebKefleghizi. 02 Nov 2009 from txt

Keflezighi, a member of the Twitterverse himself, had a simple message to share:

runmeb what a magic day. Going to after race dinner. 02 Nov 2009 from mobile web

— this quote was brought to you by quoteurl

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TwitPics: 2009 New York City Marathon

Tony Valdivieso — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:41:24 +0000

Over 40,000 people took part in the 2009 New York City Marathon, running through Manhattan, Queens and Central Park on Sunday. While this years race turned out to be an historic one, with Meb Keflezighi becoming the first American to win the marathon since 1982, one man’s story can’t tell the whole story.

While some celebrities and many professional athletes take part in the marathon each year, the vast majority of participants are average people competing just for fun. According to the Huffington Post, over two million spectators line the course while approximately 315 million watch the race on television.

Whether spectating from the sidelines or from their apartments along the course, many Twitterers posted pictures which help to tell the story.

@TroyPayne

Toch maar even naar buiten gegaan voor de New York City Marathon! Super event (Anyway just gone out for New York City Marathon! Super event) @Langace

NYC Marathon from Bergen at 4th Ave Brooklyn, NY 11217 #marathon #nyc #brooklyn @joannabethpdot

NYC marathon! I could never do it myself, but watching gives me goosies! @novelwhore

Marathon from my fire escape @Feliceeva

NYC Marathon @pb83

NYC Marathon. Mile 24.75. @Mainelife

nyc marathon final stretch @DanKaps

@jerry_bell

Finish line NYC Marathon. Amazing logistics involved @Mainelife

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Castro’s sister reveals she worked with CIA during Cold War

Tony Valdivieso — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:58:54 +0000

In her recently released memoirs, “My Brothers Fidel and Raul, the Secret History,” Juanita Castro made some shocking revelations: the younger sister of long-time Cuban leader Fidel Castro revealed between the years of 1961-1969, she worked for the CIA helping to keep agents within Cuba safe.

According to CNN, Juanita was originally a supporter of the Cuban revolution which brought her brother to power in 1959 but became disillusioned by the growing injustice of his rule. In 1961, the wife of the Brazilian ambassador to Cuba persuaded Castro to meet with a CIA officer during a trip to Mexico, according to AP.

“[The CIA] wanted to talk to me because they had interesting things to tell me, and interesting things to ask of me, such as… if I was ready to listen to them. I was semi-shocked, but I said yes anyway,” she told CNN affiliate Univision-Noticias 23.

While most Twitterers were shocked upon hearing the news…

patricia_andrad (Miami, FL) En Miami estamos en shock!Juanita Castro se guardo el secreto,se arriesgo,y acepto colaborar con la CIA para ayudar a sacar a Fidel y Raul (In Miami we are in shock! Juanita Castro held the secret, take risks, and agree to cooperate with the CIA to help lift Fidel and Raul) 26 Oct 2009 from UberTwitter

carlaa11 (Undisclosed) Juanita Castro collaborated with CIA, thank goodness she lives in Miami. 26 Oct 2009 from web

mfreitasneto (Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil) Com codinome de Donna – JUANITA CASTRO, 76 – IRMÃ TRAÍDORA DO COMANDANTE FIDEL CASTRO, TRABALHOU NA CIA. Ela não fala com irmãos há 45 anos. (Code-named Donna – JUANITA CASTRO, 76 – SISTER traitor Commander Fidel Castro, he worked at the CIA. She does not speak to brothers for 45 years.) 27 Oct 2009 from web

— this quote was brought to you by quoteurl

…a few were able to find humor in the situation:

thejohnblog (Arlington, TX) Castro’s sister gave info to CIA. Man, I thought my sis was a traitor for eating my last Pop Tart on May 12th, 1987. But I’m over it now. 27 Oct 2009 from txt

charliehaldeman (Sherman, TX) What’s up with news of people on the CIA payroll? Castro’s sister… now Afghan prez’ brother? Thank goodness I’m an only child! 28 Oct 2009 from TweetDeck

renatamonte (Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil) Minha irmã é como a irmã do Fidel Castro. Só que não espionar pra CIA e sim pros meus pais. (My sister is like the sister of Fidel Castro. But not a CIA spy, for my parents.) 27 Oct 2009 from web

— this quote was brought to you by quoteurl

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President Obama signs new defense bill; hate crime laws expanded

Tony Valdivieso — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:54:25 +0000

US President Barack Obama signed a $680 billion defense authorization bill Wednesday which aims to clean the current defense budget by removing “some of the waste and inefficiency.” The bill also included a new law, an unrelated provision which makes it a federal hate crime to assault people based on sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

According to AP, over the steep objections of many Republicans in Congress, Democratic supporters attached the hate crimes measure to the defense bill in order to assure its passage after years of trying.

Obama hailed the measure as a step toward change to “help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray,” reports CNN.

The response from the Twitterverse has been overwhelmingly positive – some are calling the bill historic while others are simply applauding Obama:

crescentcomp (Auckland, New Zealand) more than ecstatic that President Obama signed the Hate Crimes Bill today… the US is finally moving forward 28 Oct 2009 from web

kyrstensinema (Phoenix, AZ) Absolutely amazing speech by President Obama at reception for Hate Crimes bill. 28 Oct 2009 from Tweetie

mindschmootz (Undisclosed) “No one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hand of someone they love,” President Barack Obama / Amen. 28 Oct 2009 from web

tehchickgamer (Undisclosed) Obama signed legesature that protects LGBT people from hate crimes!!! Yes! I’m so incredibly HAPPY! 29 Oct 2009 from Echofon

daylinleach (Wayne, PA) President Obama signs hate-crimes bill. A great day for America. 29 Oct 2009 from TweetDeck

loveislove2 (New York) Pres. Obama signs the Matthew Shepherd Hate Crimes Provention Act. 1st time any federal equality measure protecting LGBT rights is law. 29 Oct 2009 from web

brittyb23_ (Undisclosed) BOOYEAH. Obama made it official.. HATE CRIMES AGAINST ANY SEXUAL ORIENTATION – BANNED. I absolutely LOVE our president.. 29 Oct 2009 from mobile web

dontucallmelady (Undisclosed) A significant and historic step in our journey was achieved today when Obama signed the hate crimes act. 29 Oct 2009 from Twitterrific

AndrewLease (New York) By the way, kudos to President Obama on signing into law the long overdue hate crimes legislation regarding sexual orientation 29 Oct 2009 from web

— this quote was brought to you by quoteurl

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Dow Jones average hits 10,000 for first time since 2008

Tony Valdivieso — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:53:36 +0000

Following unexpected quarterly profits from Intel and JPMorgan Chase, the Dow Jones industrial average reached 10,000 points today. While it dropped later in the day,when the U.S. markets closed, the Dow Jones was able to rebound and closed above 10,000. It had been more ethan a year since the industrial average exceeded the 10,000 mark – the last time being Oct. 7, 2008.

“Better than expected is a win,” said Peter Schwartz, cofounder of Global Business Network, according to CBS News. “People’s expectations have been calibrated to buffer some of the bad news.”

Tom Schrader, managing director at Stifel Nicolaus, an investment banking firm, said the market is not in the clear just yet. According to CNN, Schrader says the retail sales report, also released Wednesday, indicates the economic recovery won’t be smooth-sailing. However, “people are looking forward,” says Schrader.

While some Twitterers are looking forward…

Metroliner (San Francisco, CA) DOW 10,000! DOW 10,000! What recession? http://twitpic.com/lid0i 14 Oct 2009 from Tweetie

TheBest_One (Undisclosed) Holla-ing at the Dow Jones today. WOO! 14 Oct 2009 from web

imrananwar (Long Island, NY) Dow Jones industrial average topped 10,000 for the first time in a year after 12-year low of 6,547.05 on March 9 14 Oct 2009 from TweetDeck

Moracchio (Undisclosed) Dow Jones above 10,000….yee haaa! 14 Oct 2009 from Seesmic

Gheemoo (Queens, NY) The dow, now a five digit number. This definitely isn’t the solution to the bad economy BUT the Dow Jones climb isn’t detrimental. 14 Oct 2009 from web

Wrigleyville41 (Undisclosed) Dow Jones hit 10k today, good news! 14 Oct 2009 from txt

…the news wasn’t always well-received:

cboyack (Lehi, UT) The Down Jones is meaningless. Watch it if you like fantasy. If you prefer to live in the real world, watch gold and the dollar index. 14 Oct 2009 from Tweetie

Spidey004 (Buffalo, NY) Dow Jones has topped 10,000. WE’RE SAVED! 14 Oct 2009 from web

jester1176 (Santa Clara, CA) Great. The Dow Jones hit 10,000. Is that like getting the high score in Donkey Kong? What does that even mean any more? 14 Oct 2009 from web

robertcoffman (Undisclosed) The Dow Jones over 10,000. So 14 Oct 2009 from mobile web

livo46 (Maltby, UK) The Dow Jones hit 10,000 today but what goes up must come down 14 Oct 2009 from web

thedriverpicks (Undisclosed) So where’s my job? RT @BreakingNews: The Dow Jones Industrial Average passes 10,000 for the first time since October 7th, 2008. 14 Oct 2009 from Seesmic

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President Obama awarded 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

Tony Valdivieso — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:38:38 +0000

On Friday, President Barack Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, becoming only the third sitting U.S. president to win such a prize. The Norwegian Nobel Commitee praised Obama’s “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” also citing his creation of “a new climate in international politics.”

“Very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” the committee said in a citation, according to Reuters.

According to CNN, the announcement came as a big surprise. Obama’s name had not been mentioned among front-runners and the roomful of reporters in Oslo, Norway, gasped when he was named.

The announcement was widely criticized on Twitter:

Kenshin__ (Tokyo, Japan) Obama won the Nobel Prize ?! For a man who will send soldiers in Afghanistan soon, that’s amazing… 09 Oct 2009 from web

dandyleon (Undisclosed) daddey read obama got peace nobel prize.that’s BS lol.what has he done yet? 09 Oct 2009 from web

MehdiHussain (London, UK) #Obama winning a Nobel Prize? Just when you thought this world couldn’t get any more messed up… 09 Oct 2009 from web

LiliCosic (Slovenia) Obama got the Nobel peace prize, why? :/ 09 Oct 2009 from web

thidc @flaviobessajr (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) Eu achava que o Nobel era imparcial e justo, mas vejo que é mais um vendido pela fama do Mr. President Obama. Its a shame =/(I thought that the Nobel was impartial and fair, but I see that it is one sold by the fame of Mr. President Obama. Its a shame = /) 09 Oct 2009 from web in reply to flaviobessajr

thierryB (Lavaltrie, Quebec) Le Nobel de la paix pour Obama : c’est une blague, non? Il est là depuis moins d’un an (The Nobel Peace Obama: it’s a joke, right? He has been there less than a year). 09 Oct 2009 from TweetDeck

The decision was even criticized by Twitterers in the United States:

armcomm (Upstate New York) Obama getting a Nobel Prize for a speech means as much as Arafat getting his for peace efforts. Yawn. Ceased to mean anything long ago. 09 Oct 2009 from Echofon

BadMayo (Chicago, IL) Nobel Appease Prize 09 Oct 2009 from Twitterrific

ChasingYourStar (New York City, NY) Hmmm. Long story short: Obama does NOT deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. 09 Oct 2009 from txt

john_tucker_ (Horn Lake, MS) You can be in the middle of two wars and allowing two third world countries too develop nuclear arms and win the Nobel Peace Prize? 09 Oct 2009 from txt

aeg0707 (Undisclosed) RT @markknoller: Worth noting, Pres. Obama took office less than 10 days before the Feb. 1 deadline for Nobel Prize nominations 09 Oct 2009 from web

oicStars (Burbank, CA) am I dreaming? Obama wins Nobel peace prize? for what??? weird. 09 Oct 2009 from Tweetie

Some world leaders applauded Obama’s strides toward peace. Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet leader and a Nobel Prize winner himself, said: “I am happy…In these hard times people who are capable of taking responsibility, who have a vision, commitment and political will should be supported.”

However, the announcement did not pass without criticism.

“Obama’s winning the peace prize shows these prizes are political, not governed by the principles of credibility, values and morals,” said Islamic Jihad leader Khaled Al-Batsh.

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TwitPics: Earthquake hits American Samoa

Tony Valdivieso — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:33:29 +0000

According to CNN, 17 people have been killed and hundreds left injured in Samoa following a magnitude 8.0 earthquake. Reuters is reporting the earthquakes have may have killed as many as 100 people.

American Samoa Gov. Togiola Tulafono told CNN international “two or three villages have been damaged badly.”

Vindell Hsu, a geophysicist with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, told CNN the earthquake generated three separate tsunami waves, the largest being 5.1 feet high

Twitterers in the effected Samoan villages (Pago Pago and Leone) have started to post pictures of the damage:

Pago Plaza with DDW on the first floor - Ardieroque

The old Soli and Mark's reduced to rubbles - Ardieroque

Devastation in Pago! - Ardieroque

Leone Village - American Samoa. From a relative. - Gpatnava

Development Bank of American Samoa - ardieroque

Mike from Hawthorne Machinery in PagoPago sent me this picture of #Samoa #tsunami carnage. - Tunasupport

GHC Reid Vaimalu Water Bottling Plant - ardieroque

Pago Plaza and Vaimalu Bottling Plant - ardieroque

A meeting house (fale) in Leone village - ardieroque

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