2008 – the quick Sliver

12.19.08 Nuts, Not

December 19, 2008 Mike Keeler

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Reading the latest headlines, you might feel like saying “NUTS!” But for some this holiday season, it’s the lack of nuts that’s the issue. Like our economic meltdown, the nut problem has been developing for some time. Scientists tell us that an ice storm that struck the East Coast in…

10.31.08 Bad Cruise

October 31, 2008 Mike Keeler

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Just in time for Halloween: Nightmare on Broad Street. Carnival Cruise Lines recently launched a new ad campaign, “Fun for All, All for Fun,” positioning the brand as the most festive cruise line in the world. To prove it, last Monday, Carnival’s promotions guys rolled the “World’s Largest Beach Ball”…

2008 candy Carnival Cruise Dallas marketing parade Philadelphia World Series

10.17.08 Grab the Goo

October 17, 2008 Mike Keeler

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Once upon a time, there was simple little product that hit the big time and went totally diamondz. Skateboarding is one of the fastest growing participation sports. The kids are totally down with it. Outside most malls and shopping centers, you’ll find packs of skate-rats leaping off staircases, sliding down…

2008 Shoe Goo skateboarding

8.15.08 Fighting Back

August 15, 2008 Mike Keeler

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In a refugee camp in Iran, three young men practiced taekwondo. They had been forced from their homes in Kabul, Afghanistan when the Taliban came to power. Rohullah Nikpai and his brother had met Noor Ahmad Gayezabi in the camp, and together they formed a team and spent their days…

2008 Afghanistan bronze medal Olympics Rohullah Nikpai taekwondo

6.3.08 Hamilton’s House

June 13, 2008 Mike Keeler

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Alexander Hamilton has been dead for over 200 years, but he’s still on the move. He was born on Nevis as the bastard son of a Scottish laird, who abandoned the family. Denied entry to the Church of England academy, he attended a Jewish school. His mother died when he…

2008 Aaron Burr Alexander Hamilton American Revolution Battle of Trenton Elizabeth Schuyler Federalist Papers James Madison John Jay the Grange

6.6.08 Political Pundits

June 6, 2008 Mike Keeler

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Keith Olbermann owes about $2000 in back-taxes to New York State. A small point, but one which might impact who becomes the next President of the United States. For several years, the highest rated program in cable news, “The O’Reilly Factor,” has been a staunch defender of the Bush agenda.…

2008 Bill O'Reilly Fox News Keith Olbermann; Jeff Zucker; Rupert Murdoch McCain MSNBC Obama

5.30.08 B used to be for Bee

May 30, 2008 Mike Keeler

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In the Internet age, when evryone is forgeting how to spel corectly, the spelling bee is strangely more popular than ever. The Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee is the nation’s largest and longest running education contest. It is organized by newspapers that run preliminary contests in thousands of markets. Its…

2008 Scripps Howard spelling bee

5.23.08 Running From Justice

May 23, 2008 Mike Keeler

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Ripped from the headlines, this is the story of an undercover narcotics agent. The agent was tasked by the U.S. Government to help bust a drug ring involving several high-profile celebrity users. The agent secretly recorded phone calls and provided other evidence to the authorities, including evidence implicating his own…

2008 Antonio Pettigrew drugs Justin Gatlin Michael Johnson Olympics running steroids Trevor Graham

5.16.08 Technology Bugs

May 16, 2008 Mike Keeler

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THE….ANTS….ARE…..COMING!!! They arrived aboard a container ship at the port of Houston. They are tiny, no more than the size of fleas. They run around in every direction, and have been named “crazy ants” for their erratic behavior. They have multiplied into the billions and have spread across five counties.…

2008 Ants Technology Houston Texas EPA

4.25.08 The Blackstone Market

April 25, 2008 Mike Keeler

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Ever worry about the power of the Internet? Read on… On November 29, 2007, Mr. Paul Berliner of the trading firm Schottenfeld Group sent an instant message to thirty-one of his Wall Street associates. Referring to a credit card processing company called Alliance Data Systems (AD), which was in talks…

2008 Blackstone Group Schottenfeld Group short sell Stock Market