gkanai.weblogs.com

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Atlanta J-C: Could Mr. Right be white?

Bailey represents a quiet revolution taking place among some black women. For years, they've complained about the shortage of eligible black men. Now they're no longer content to vent on "Oprah." If Mr. Right happens to be white, more are willing to cross the color line.

"I'm not going to sit on a porch in a rocking chair, all alone at 80 years old because of color," says Wanda Dunn, a 37-year-old Stone Mountain Web designer. "I don't see it as a turning away from black men but as expanding my options."

I think it's very interesting to see this trend even getting news.
This other part is hilarious :)

Robinson, who has dated three white men, says they're more romantic and willing to go on dates like walking in the park or visiting a museum.

"I haven't found any black men trying to take me to the museum," she says. "I wish they would make an effort other than, 'Let's go and have a drink' or 'Let's go to the Red Lobster for all-you-can-eat crab legs on Monday.' "

Certainly not necessarily a "Black" thing, it was just a funny comment, imo.

Walker, a computer programmer, says that dating a black woman has made him more sensitive. He often attends reggae clubs with Bailey where he is the only white person in the room.

"It's different being the odd man out," he says. "Actually, what goes through my mind is, I wonder if that's what it's like for her being on the other side of the table."

Very interesting...

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AP: FTC Seeks Info on Search Engines

Although many search engines contend paid inclusion only has a minor impact on how results are sorted, the FTC concluded that the programs could distort rankings. The FTC thus asked the search engines to provide an easily located explanation about paid inclusion and its potential impact.

It appears all the engines except Google still need to make this change. It's not an issue for Google because its database doesn't include entries from paid inclusion programs.

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LAT: Japan's Bankrupt Bankers

What became known as the April Fools' Day fiasco began when Japanese clients sidled up to Mizuho ATMs and 7,000 of the spiffed-up machines crashed. By the time matters were sorted out weeks later, 30,000 customers had been double-billed for utility charges and 2.5 million transactions had gone awry.

The subsequent investigation, parliamentary hearings and media scrutiny only reinforced what most already knew: A banking industry once feared and admired around the world has lost its way in the midst of bickering, internal problems and insular thinking.

Japan's poor bank management--with a huge assist from government regulators--has driven the country's bad debt to historic levels, worsening its decade-long deflationary slide and adding to its economic misery. Japan has repeatedly denied the size and scope of its bad-debt mess--officially pegged at $227 billion for major city and trust banks. Outsiders say the real number could be several times worse.

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