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Category: Marriage Equality

Unblogged Bits (Sat. 7-Aug-10 0001)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Why did no one object to the “Pentagon mosque”? – War Room – Salon.com – THEY’RE EVERYWHERE, YOU KNOW!
  2. Star Wars Live-Action TV Show on Hold Again – Lucas is looking at re-re-re-re-rereleasing the originals in … 3-D? (facepalm)
  3. How to Launch a Space Shuttle in 4 minutes! [Starts With A Bang] – Very cool. And a crying shame.
  4. Would You Eat Lab-Grown Meat? – I think it will take a while to match the Real Thing, but I would certainly be willing to make the Real Thing the exception in my diet rather than the rule, if it were an adequate substitute.
  5. Rare Superman Comic Saves Home From Foreclosure – Just goes to show you, DON’T THROW OUT THOSE COMIC BOOKS, MOM!
  6. A simple plan to ruin your boss: plant child porn on his PC – I’m certainly no fan of child porn. I’m also no fan of witch hunts, and the immediate leaping to judgment that mere allegations can have is truly frightening.
  7. Opponent Of Cordoba House Is Building A Museum On Top Of A Muslim Cemetery In Jerusalem: Matt Duss
  8. Architects Of SB-1070 Looking At Challenging Historic Plyler Vs. Doe Decision – “It is difficult to understand precisely what the State hopes to achieve by promoting the creation and perpetuation of a subclass of illiterates within our boundaries, surely adding to the problems and costs of unemployment, welfare, and crime.” Not sure about the state, but it sounds like some folks are in a position to profit from it.
  9. Museum of Tolerance backer: No to WTC mosque – Crain’s New York Business – “Religious freedom does not mean being insensitive … or an idiot.” Actually, yes, it does. Or, rather, protection of religious freedom includes protecting those who are insensitive, or idiots, as well as those who are beautiful and beneficent.
  10. Destruction of the Death Star, more Cock-Up than Conspiracy « Last Hussar’s Barracks – Yeah, that sounds about right …
  11. Accidental Hedonist – The State of Our Beer Industry – What? I missed International Beer Day? What sort of socialistic SOBs schedule International Beer Day on a THURSDAY?!
  12. Gay Marriage and Interracial Marriage : Dispatches from the Culture Wars – Arguing over who’s been discriminated against more egregiously than whom is rarely useful (and, all too often plays indirectly into the hands of the discriminators). But this is an interesting perspective on some similarities and differences in comparing the two unjustly forbidden categories in the title.
  13. Adam Shah: Why did Reagan apologize to the SS? – Yeah, expect to hear this “Obama ‘apologized’ to the Japanese” thing making the rounds for years to come.
  14. Conservatives Against Religious Tolerance – Whether it’s religious prejudice, or fearmongering demagoguery, the reaction from the Right (and tepid counter-reaction from the Left) is disgusting.
  15. The (Possible) Mother of All Battles: What If a Conservative Supreme Court Justice Retires? – Political Hotsheet – CBS News – It would, indeed, be horrifically ugly.

Unblogged Bits (Sat. 7-Aug-10 0001)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Why did no one object to the “Pentagon mosque”? – War Room – Salon.com – THEY’RE EVERYWHERE, YOU KNOW!
  2. Star Wars Live-Action TV Show on Hold Again – Lucas is looking at re-re-re-re-rereleasing the originals in … 3-D? (facepalm)
  3. How to Launch a Space Shuttle in 4 minutes! [Starts With A Bang] – Very cool. And a crying shame.
  4. Would You Eat Lab-Grown Meat? – I think it will take a while to match the Real Thing, but I would certainly be willing to make the Real Thing the exception in my diet rather than the rule, if it were an adequate substitute.
  5. Rare Superman Comic Saves Home From Foreclosure – Just goes to show you, DON’T THROW OUT THOSE COMIC BOOKS, MOM!
  6. A simple plan to ruin your boss: plant child porn on his PC – I’m certainly no fan of child porn. I’m also no fan of witch hunts, and the immediate leaping to judgment that mere allegations can have is truly frightening.
  7. Opponent Of Cordoba House Is Building A Museum On Top Of A Muslim Cemetery In Jerusalem: Matt Duss
  8. Architects Of SB-1070 Looking At Challenging Historic Plyler Vs. Doe Decision – “It is difficult to understand precisely what the State hopes to achieve by promoting the creation and perpetuation of a subclass of illiterates within our boundaries, surely adding to the problems and costs of unemployment, welfare, and crime.” Not sure about the state, but it sounds like some folks are in a position to profit from it.
  9. Museum of Tolerance backer: No to WTC mosque – Crain’s New York Business – “Religious freedom does not mean being insensitive … or an idiot.” Actually, yes, it does. Or, rather, protection of religious freedom includes protecting those who are insensitive, or idiots, as well as those who are beautiful and beneficent.
  10. Destruction of the Death Star, more Cock-Up than Conspiracy « Last Hussar’s Barracks – Yeah, that sounds about right …
  11. Accidental Hedonist – The State of Our Beer Industry – What? I missed International Beer Day? What sort of socialistic SOBs schedule International Beer Day on a THURSDAY?!
  12. Gay Marriage and Interracial Marriage : Dispatches from the Culture Wars – Arguing over who’s been discriminated against more egregiously than whom is rarely useful (and, all too often plays indirectly into the hands of the discriminators). But this is an interesting perspective on some similarities and differences in comparing the two unjustly forbidden categories in the title.
  13. Adam Shah: Why did Reagan apologize to the SS? – Yeah, expect to hear this “Obama ‘apologized’ to the Japanese” thing making the rounds for years to come.
  14. Conservatives Against Religious Tolerance – Whether it’s religious prejudice, or fearmongering demagoguery, the reaction from the Right (and tepid counter-reaction from the Left) is disgusting.
  15. The (Possible) Mother of All Battles: What If a Conservative Supreme Court Justice Retires? – Political Hotsheet – CBS News – It would, indeed, be horrifically ugly.

Unblogged Bits (Fri. 6-Aug-10 1400)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Like banging one’s head against a wall – “The result, though, is the same either way — the GOP got us into this mess; the GOP fought efforts that made things better; and the GOP continues to stand in the way of efforts that would get us out of the hole they dug.” And, yet, the GOP will most likely reap the benefits in November. Mere coincidence?
  2. A party without grown-ups – And, honestly, what the hell business is it of US Senators, esp. ones that aren’t from New York?
  3. Ignoring an alarm – “This really is crazy. With the economy sputtering, here’s a bill that will help prevent tens of thousands of layoffs, including school teachers and firefighters. It’s paid for, and won’t add a dime to the deficit. It enjoyed bipartisan support in the Senate, and even Ben Nelson voted for it. But for some panicky House Dems, saving jobs means spending money, and ‘spending = bad.’ Why? Because Republicans say so.”
  4. Cantor chooses not to celebrate good news: Steve Benen
  5. The Right’s Plan For Stopping Gay Marriage: Intimidate The Supreme Court – Yeah … because SCOTUS Justices just looooove being told “do it our way, or else.” Let me know how that works for you, Chuck.
  6. How The ACLJ Rationalizes Its Hypocrisy – Ultimately, they rationalize it by deciding that the only True Religion is Christianity, so religious freedom applies only to it. And, if they’re feeling generous on a given day, the Jews.
  7. Going to Extremes as the Downturn Wears On – NYTimes.com – But smaller government is good! The Republicans keep saying so!
  8. Another Foxconn Worker Dies Despite New Safety Nets In Place [Foxconn Suicides] – Let’s solve problems with suicides amongst our workforce by … installing SAFETY NETS! (rolls eyes)
  9. Announcement: The Mysterious Book! – Congrats, De! Looking forward to picking up a copy!
  10. Memorializing Pregnancy – As a pack rat, I appreciate the sentiment behind a lot of this. But, like so many things, it seems way too easy to go way too, um, far in what you hold onto. (Though that, too, is in the eye (or other biological bit) of the beholder.)
  11. Indiana Jones? Archaeologist kills rampaging polar bear – Ah, but not just any polar bear, but a polar bear that attacked them while they were investigating NAZIS!
  12. DORK TOWER, Friday, August 6, 2010 – One thing that going to the Comic-Con reminded me is how much I hate standing in front of someone who I admire for their creativity and being utterly tongue-tied for fear of sound like every other brain-dead fanboy they’ve encountered that day. I suppose it could be worse …

Unblogged Bits (Thu. 5-Aug-10 2001)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. From the Budget Commission – Well, there’s a shocker.
  2. #188 Wedding Ceremonies of the Near Future – Ha! And why the heck not?
  3. Prop 8 Ruling Could Lead to Marrying Your Dog Or Horse; End Of Democracy, Warn Pastors – “No longer do we have a right to ‘discriminate’ based on equal protection.” Well, he got that one correct.
  4. Kate Conway: Beck and Stossel imagine rosy world of private military contractors with no civilian deaths – I’ve rarely seen a more ludicrous discussion of how war (and soldiers) are actually handled than this one. No surprise that it’s Beck.
  5. Keyes: Slavery Was All About Guaranteed Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Jobs – Yes, who’d have thought those plantation owners were really socialists at heart?
  6. Fischer: Prop 8 Ruling Proof That “Homosexuals Should be Disqualified From Public Office” – “A man who ignores time-honored standards of sexual behavior simply cannot be trusted with the power of public office.” Well, that certainly rules out quite a few members of Congress, I should think.
  7. The Supreme Court will now have three women justices. – Congratulations, Justice Kagan.
  8. Target CEO apologizes to employees for donating to anti-gay candidate Tom Emmer. – Now, see, that’s an apology.
  9. Sarah Pavlus: Another Prop 8 case smear: Plaintiffs’ experts are dubious because “many or most are in same-sex relationships” – I hope someone is writing these down, since they serve as textbook cases of the Ad Hominem Attack.
  10. Jocelyn Fong: Drudge again launches bizarre (and false) attack on Napolitano over body scans – While I’m glad to hear that DHS/TSA are not storing the images (though solely by policy, not through inability to do so), the question needs to be asked why the Marshals Service is, and what can be done about it.
  11. If You’re All White in America – I’m glad a lot of commentators are picking up on the “if he’s gay, he shouldn’t rule on gay stuff” nonsense.
  12. Heads they win, tails you lose – “In other words, ‘I’m willing to compromise with you, unless it means you getting some of what you want, in which case, forget it.'” Which is kind of how McConnell has been handling stuff already. How is it that the Right can scream about “the will of the Majority” in California, yet blithely ignore the will of the folks who voted in a majority of 59 Senators in Washington?
  13. Props On Prop. 8 Decision: In His Marriage Ruling, Judge Properly Divorced Church And State « The Wall of Separation – As Judge Walker put it: “Civil authorities may permit religious leaders to solemnize marriages but not to determine who may enter or leave a civil marriage. Religious leaders may determine independently whether to recognize a civil marriage or divorce but that recognition or lack thereof has no effect on the relationship under state law.” Seems pretty straightforward to me. We don’t require folks to marry in a church — why should religious doctrine (even that of the majority) define whether folks can get married at the courthouse?
  14. ‘I Feel Like I Don’t Live In America:’ The Best Worst Prop 8 Reactions | TPMMuckraker – Thinking homosexuality is immoral — I can understand that (though I disagree). Getting your panties in a twist because of gay marriage, though … I mean, really, THAT is the most awful thing giving you the vapors, or making it seem like you don’t “live in America” any more? REALLY?
  15. Church Carnival Sets Up Shooter Game With Obama As Target | TPMMuckraker – “We’re not interpreting it as Obama.” Wow — disrespectful, violent, AND a liar — that’s like a whole Wingnut trifecta!
  16. Me against them > ninja – Ninja with STYLE!
  17. In California, thousands celebrate as Proposition 8 overturned – Episcopal Life Online – Well, at least one denomination isn’t in mourning over Judge Vaughn’s decision (though, of course, the law’s constitutionality, or lack thereof, isn’t a matter that any church can or should try to assert on religious grounds).

Tweets from 2010-08-04

  • Working from home today, so I can go to the dentist this p.m. AND bring Kay in for her (drum-roll) BRACES. #
  • Indy, just to show he's not losing his own hunter touch in his elder years, brought us a mouse. Um … thanks! #
  • Doing Write: Pondering NaNoWriMo http://bit.ly/cjsSLc #
  • At the dentist. Kay seems far more calm than I'd have expected. #
  • RT @ggreenwald, @Atrios: i get it a bit with abortion, but who the hell devotes their life to preventing gay marriage? #

Unblogged Bits (Thu. 15-Jul-10 2000)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Apple’s brewing shitstorm – The press conference Friday may be a defining moment for Apple — especially if they handle it poorly.
  2. Smoking mind over smoking matter: Surprising new study shows cigarette cravings result from habit, not addiction – Interesting.
  3. City Council Prayers Cause Trouble – The sense one always gets from these pray-at-any-cost proponents is that it really is all about power — they don’t care if they offend, they’re just going to do what they want to do, and if that makes other people feel marginalized … well, then, that’s all right by them. It becomes less about “a personal relationship with Jesus Christ” and more about WINNING.
  4. Atheist in the Maldives Kills Himself – What makes it even sadder is how many of his countrymen are likely pleased he did so.
  5. BP Staff “Deeply Affected” By Coffee Spill Parody Video – The word “pathetic” comes to mind …
  6. Do Your Patriotic Duty And Eat Ice Cream This Month – I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me ice cream or give me … um … MORE ice cream.
  7. Clear Channel: Internet means we get to buy more radio stations – Clear Channel is one of those companies that, no matter how reasoned their arguments, I inherently distrust not to do something horrible if allowed to.
  8. 6 Reasons Why Designer Sunglasses Are A Rip-Off – I pay a surcharge with each prescription set of glasses I get to get photogray lenses that change in the sunlight. They work perfectly well for me, and I’ve no desire to spend the exorbitant costs of designer sunglasses (or designer anything, for that matter).
  9. Big mystery holding back practical superconductors may have been solved [Mad Science] – Very cool.
  10. Andes Sunset Eclipse
  11. The Soviet Hobbit… « How to be a Retronaut – Gorgeous illustrations. I’d go for some posters of these. Some of the design choices are interesting (the goblins look like … Vikings?).
  12. Post Now – Court upholds D.C. same-sex marriage – Good.
  13. Rand Paul, not exactly ‘forthright’ – Wow. That does seem rather bald-faced.
  14. Will plagiarism lead to McInnis’ ouster?: Steve Benen
  15. For Some on Right, Even Legal Immigrants Aren’t American Enough – Xenophobia: check.
  16. The Straight Dope: How does the earth’s rotation affect the path of a bullet?
  17. The Utter Hypocrisy of the ACLJ : Dispatches from the Culture Wars – “The ACLJ has for years fought for laws like the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to give exemptions to religious groups from zoning laws and other laws that might place a legal burden on those exercising their religion. But here is a religious organization using a building in full compliance with all local laws and regulations and they want that stopped. The difference, of course, is that they think the rules should only apply to others, not to Christians.”
  18. Onion Store > The ONN Android App – Ah … the Anti-FOX News App. This one I’ll download.
  19. The U.S., Argentina and gay marriage – Glenn Greenwald – Salon.com – But, I thought WE were supposed to be the exceptional world leaders in freedom …

Unblogged Bits (Sun. 11-Jul-10 2000)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Right conclusion, wrong rationale? – This goes with the comment I had when this first broke — the 10th Amendment part of this ruling is problematic, both in the area of gay marriage and in other areas as well.
  2. Deficit Fraud Jon Kyl: ‘You Should Never Have To Offset’ Tax Cuts – Actually, what Kyl’s implying is that you should simply lop off the price of the tax cuts from what the government is spending. Of course, he won’t say where he wants to lop off $687bn …

Unblogged Bits (Fri. 9-Jul-10 0200)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Christian Book Urges Men To Be “Dangerous”, Inspires Murderous Gang – Yeah, sounds like just what Jesus would do.
  2. The Laughter Curve – “The average unemployment check in America is $293 which, when multiplied by fifty-two weeks, is $15,236 per year which is very close to $150,000 if you round up, so everyone should quit their jobs! Yay! Funemployment!”
  3. CNS STORY: New iPad application won’t replace liturgical books, creator says – This is actually kind of interesting. But while the idea of a Mass being celebrated off of an iPad makes me blink and ponder for a moment, I’m wryly amused by the, um, less-than-enthusiastic response by the Liturgical Powers that Be in the Church.
  4. Vitter: Furer Handled Abortion, Just Not ‘Women’s Affairs’ (VIDEO) | TPMDC – “It’s difficult to say whether Vitter’s parsing here, or whether we’re getting a candid conservative view that abortion is not in fact a woman’s issue.” Or perhaps both.
  5. BBC News – Germany officials launch legal action against Facebook – Not terribly surprising. Europeans are much more sensitive than the US to personal privacy rights vs. businesses, though less so vs. government (the US is the opposite).
  6. Where did “soccer” come from? – I did not know that. Cool.
  7. 10 things I wish I had known about web designing 10 years ago | Blog | Graphic and Web Designer London UK – Nothing earthshattering, but generally good advice.
  8. Liberty Counsel: Churches May Have to Give Up Tax Exemptions to Save America From Turning Into “Communist Romania” – Wait — is Matt Saver saying that churches don’t need tax exemption because “God will provide”? Wow, now there’s an idea for reducing the deficit …
  9. Daniels: “Atheism Leads to Brutality” and Will Destroy America – I love people who say Group X is entitled to be treated the same as anyone else, regardless of their opinion, only to follow with a dire warning of how really very dangerous Group X is.
  10. The World According to Barton: Examining The Biblical Foundations of our Government – Perhaps even the Devil can quote Scripture to his own purposes — but I strongly suspect he’d do a much better job of it than David Barton.
  11. Stephen Moore calls for raising taxes on the poor in order to pay for tax cuts for the rich. – Let them pay for us to eat cake!
  12. Boehner Invites Lobbyists To Help Form GOP Agenda In Intimate Meeting At His Office – Look it’s “The-Only-Americans-We-Care-About Speaking Out” initiative!
  13. Boston Ruling Targets Federal Gay Marriage Ban : NPR – An interesting ruling. There’s the violation of Equal Protection, which makes sense (i.e., I agree with it). There’s also the whole “states can define marriage as they choose” part, which may be a two-edged sword for gay rights activists.
  14. Cello In A Box: In This Case, Smaller Is Better : NPR – This one’s for Dad — hey, this might make your next car purchase decision a lot easier!
  15. Developers increasingly have Android on the brain – While I am not an appaholic, I have yet to look for an Android app that I couldn’t find.

Unblogged Bits (Thu. 8-Jul-10 0200)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Many English speakers cannot understand basic grammar – This is very interesting — both in terms of language theory and as something that writers (literary, technical, instructional) need to consider.
  2. The Religious Right’s Bizarre Understanding of the Establishment Clause – Summary of the argument: If you aren’t for us, you’re against us! And since the Constitution doesn’t allow you to be against us, you have to be for us!
  3. CNN Caves To Right Wing Neocons By Firing Its Mideast Reporter Octavia Nasr – Actually, I’d think “simplistic comments” would be just up the neocons’ alley.
  4. Next up from M Night Shyamalan – DORK TOWER, Wednesday, June 7
  5. This is not your Mom’s Girl Scouts – Not a bad logo/identity redesign. Need to be sure my Mother-in-Law sees this.
  6. Helping the climate, cutting the deficit: Steve Benen
  7. What’s bad for the coffers is good for the reputation – Lacking donations from Big Finance causes logistical difficulties, but the Dems do have a solid opportunity to exploit that as an electoral advantage.
  8. Obama cuts short nonsense on CMS nominee – I don’t care for recess appointments, but when that’s the ONLY way to get appointees past the pseudo-majority GOP …
  9. Glenn Beck Is Leading Christians to Hell – If he is, it’s not for the reasons Mr. Keller thinks …
  10. Who Is Trying To Shut Down Chris Rodda’s Videos Exposing the Lies of Beck and Barton? – There’s a special place in Hell for people who make up quotations by famous or influential people in order to “win” an argument through deceit.
  11. Christian Coalition Wants “Twilight” Books Banned – Actual quote: “These Twilight books are very disturbing books for family values. Teen marriage is not the standard, but the part that is more troubling is the vampire. It’s just not normal for young people to idolize a vampire.”
  12. Legislature-Passed Civil Unions Bill Not Democratic Enough, Says Hawaii Governor – If it’s mandated by the judiciary, then it’s undemocratic because the legislature didn’t do it. When it’s passed by the legislature, then it’s undemocratic because it wasn’t done by popular vote. When it’s done by popular vote then it’s an oppression of minority religious rights, which the judiciary needs to mandate …
  13. Insurer revoked leukemia patient’s coverage because it claimed she underpaid her premium by a penny. – Hey, you gotta understand the poor insurance company’s position! I mean, after a while, all those pennies add up!!
  14. Hannity: ‘I Don’t Hear America Being Praised Enough By The Muslim World’ – Only the weak and insecure complain that they are not praised enough.
  15. The Last Airbender – Kiss the Curb One Minute Movie Reviews – More proof it’s confusing and muddled even if (especially if?) you’ve never seen the TV show.
  16. Jindal Signs ‘Gun-In-Church’ Bill, Allowing Congregants To Bring Concealed Weapons To Worship – I disagree with the theology, and the dancing around coming up with the “church security” excuse — but if we are going to allow concealed carry permits, I don’t understand why churches would be off limits.
  17. MN GOP Gov. Candidate’s Idea For Economic Growth: Cut The Minimum Wage Of Bartenders And Waiters – Gee, can we pass a new law that politician who reduces the minimum wage has to take a similar percentage wage cut? I mean, think of taxpayer savings and deficit reduction!
  18. America’s Weird “We-Must-Be-Nice-to-Rich-People” Doctrine: Brad Reed
  19. Workaround – (No comment.)

Unblogged Bits (Fri. 2-Jul-10 0200)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Gay Marriage Foes: ‘Til Disclosure Do Us Part? | Mother Jones – Good Lord — I may actually have to put a quote from Antonin Scalia in my WIST database: “There are laws against threats and intimidation; and harsh criticism, short of unlawful action, is a price our people have traditionally been willing to pay for self governance. Requiring people to stand up in public for their political acts fosters civic courage, without which democracy is doomed. For my part, I do not look forward to a society which…campaigns anonymously…and even exercises the direct democracy of initiative and referendum hidden from public scrutiny and protected from the accountability of criticism. This does not resemble the Home of the Brave.”
  2. As High Risk Insurance Pools Launch, GOP Accuses Democrats Of Not Spending Enough On Reform – You’re not spending enough on the high-risk pool! But heaven forfend that we actually, y’know, let you invoke cloture to actually spend enough on the high-risk pool!
  3. Hoekstra skips unemployment extension vote for country club fundraiser, even as unemployment sits at 13.6%. – Let them eat funds!
  4. Homemade Butterbeer Recipe – Those who like this sort of thing will find it the sort of thing they like. (Will figure this out for Kay.)
  5. FOXNews.com – New Wonder Woman Loses Patriotic Costume in Favor of ‘Globalized’ Duds – Don’t tell them that she’s an IMMIGRANT! A SWARTHY immigrant of Greek descent. From an island of ALL WOMEN.

Unblogged Bits (Sat. 12-Jun-10 2001)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Frank commission gives deficit hawks a hand – “There’s little reason for optimism on this front; far too many policymakers consider the Pentagon budget entirely off-limits, despite the fact that the United States now spends about as much on defense as every other country on the planet combined. For a Congress so concerned about deficits that it’s willing to let unemployment benefits expire for struggling families, it’s hardly outrageous to think some budget savings can be found in the enormous Pentagon budget.”
  2. The ideological hitch to the GOP’s spill criticism – “Conservatives are dissatisfied with the president’s actions to date, but what they tend to downplay is that they’d be even more dissatisfied with the kind of steps that would have prevented the disaster in the first place.”
  3. Iceland Legalizes Gay Marriage – See?! God struck down the Icelanders for this AFFONT by ruining their economy IN ADVANCE of their sins! Repent! Repent!
  4. An adobe photo-shop – Heh.
  5. Study: Overwhelming Number Of Kids’ Drinks & Snacks Contain Lead – wow. That’s … disturbing. Of course, I expect Vehement Protest from the Industry if the FDA tries to actually do anything about it.
  6. FDA Cracking Down on DNA-Test Providers – I find it remarkable that this hadn’t happened previou — oh, right. Bush Administration and it’s “The Free Market will let consumers decide whether they are getting accurate results from their DNA Test Providers and choose a different one accordingly, while letting all companies profit massively, huzzah!”
  7. Animatronic bed of 1883 features winking bronze statues of women – It’s good to be the king.
  8. Days After BP Denies Blocking The Media From Covering The Spill, Reporter Is Harrassed On A Public Beach – BP, let’s be honest with each other — you really can only dig your PR hole so deep before the entire company implodes (or you have to rename your company — hey, it worked for Philip Morris!).
  9. 10 Cases of Appropriate Technology – These are all very cool. Innovations like these — and support for their purchase and promulgation — are the sort of things that can make real differences in lives.
  10. BP and Revenge of the NerdsExperts [Mike the Mad Biologist] – “BP Blow-out / Belted by Gamma Rays …”

Unblogged Bits (Sat. 12-Jun-10 0201)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Empire State Building Sticks with Mother Theresa Snub – So failing to provide (voluntarily) an honor is, to Bill Donohue, a slap in the face. Wow. Sounds like an excellent reason why the ESB should never ever change its lighting no matter what the cause — because, inevitably, someone will get torqued because their pet honoree didn’t get the star treatment.
  2. Dismantling the Right Wing Campaign Against Elena Kagan – “The right-wing’s routine charges of ‘radicalism’ have settled into a tight little rhetorical circle which leaves no room for actual facts or logic. Here’s how it goes: because Obama is dangerously radical, anybody he appoints to anything should be assumed to be radical. And the fact that he is appointing radicals just proves how radically radical he himself is.”
  3. More than half the members of the GOP’s ‘Young Guns’ program are eligible for AARP membership. – The party of tomorrow — today!
  4. 8 Abandoned American Theme Parks “Open” for Exploration | NileGuide – Something very fascinating — and sad — about these.
  5. The goblin shark of Tokyo Bay will make you soil yourself [Shark Attack] – Okay, that’s plenty nightmarish for me.
  6. Makeup – I wonder what it says about me that I’ve never been a fan (at least in person) of significantly made-up women? (Perhaps it’s a “what are they hiding?” reflex.)
  7. Knowing whose ass to kick is crucial – Money graf: “Wisdom literature from every culture is full of warnings that anger is a direct cause of self-defeating stupidity. Most of that literature is hard-won knowledge; compiled by someone languishing in defeat and humiliation, or sitting in the ashes of a Pyrrhic victory. It’s no sign of manhood to be mastered by your anger. To the contrary, lack of self-mastery means you’re vulnerable to any enemy who knows how to exploit your weakness for bluster and chest-thumping. We need to get hold of ourselves.”
  8. Microsoft explains mystery Firefox extension, “fixes” update – I’ve never been wowed by these sorts of toolbars to begin with, and Microsoft’s fumble-thumbed handling of this update is a good support for that position.
  9. Pat Robertson To Woman Whose Husband Flirts With Other Women: Make Yourself More Attractive And Don’t Hassle Him – Yeah, Pat — that is precisely what Jesus would say, I’m sure.
  10. Michele Bachmann Agrees With Radio Host That Obama Is “Worst President In U.S. History” – The most burning question re Bachmann is whether she is fully aware she’s spouting bullshit for political purposes, or whether she is so delusional that she actually believes the ordure that issues from her mouth.
  11. In Beverly, laptops all around, but parents have to pay » Local News » SalemNews.com, Salem, MA – This is just silly-stupid. Require some sort of notebook? Fine. But I can’t think of anything that would compel a particular platform requirement, be it MacOS or Windows or whatever. There’s plenty of ways to use cross-platform standards that would keep this from being so onerous.
  12. Quiznos hires Subway employee fired for helping fire victims – Well, played, Quiznos. And, you, Subway, are PR idjits (as well as being poor employers).
  13. Congrats to Rush Limbaugh on his fourth traditional marriage – Glenn Greenwald – Salon.com – Money graf (from the update): “They don’t really advocate the law’s recognition of Traditional Marriage, as they claim; rather, they only advocate that the law bar the untraditional marriages they don’t want to enter into (same-sex marriages) while recognizing the ones they do (multiple, serial ‘marriages’).”
  14. Souvenir Friday- Monsanto Adventure Through Inner Space Booklet – I loved Adventure Through Inner Space. Go, Mighty Microscope, Go!
  15. News Blog: Get your picture with Jesus – (Shudders.) Maybe Islam has the right idea about images of the Prophet …
  16. 8 of Professor X’s Biggest Dick Moves – Yeah … the Prof can be a real jerk sometimes. But always in a good cause, right?

Unblogged Bits (Mon. 24-May-10 2000)

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. FoxNews.com edits out applause during Obama’s West Point speech. – Classy, Fox!
  2. Conservatives, Including Rand Paul, Disagree With Palin’s Claim That Maddow Asked Paul ‘Gotcha’ Questions – What? Criticizing Palin? “Too often she has become the spokesperson for cultural resentments. Understandably scarred by the 2008 campaign, she is on a quest to clear her name by pounding the media at every turn. They are always to blame — even when, as in the case of Rand Paul, they are not actually to blame.” Inconceivable!
  3. Did Vaughn Ward think no one would notice? – A more important question: will plagiarism (and from that source) at all impact his chances of winning in Idaho?
  4. Steele Sides With Israeli Settlers At Central Park Rally: Obama Has ‘Left Israel To Fend For Herself’ – Sadly, this meeting will probably shore up support for Steele within the GOP.
  5. Mark Souder, You Broke My Heart – Money graf: “Enough with dividing the world between moral, family-loving Christians on the one side and supposedly permissive, corrupt, family-destroying secularists on the other. Enough with pretending that personal virtue is connected with political creeds. Enough with condemning your adversaries, sometimes viciously, and then insisting upon understanding after the failures of someone on your own side become known to the world. And enough with claiming that support for gay rights and gay marriage is synonymous with opposition to family values and sexual responsibility.”
  6. Roger Zelazny’s The Chronicles of Amber – Just what I need — another read-thru I very much want to follow. 🙂
  7. Does Your City Spend A Lot On Eating? – We’re above average here in Denver, but I’m gratified to see we’re a lot more on the “groceries” than “dining out” side.
  8. Do we clamp the umbilical cord too soon? – Fascinating info.
  9. Lab-on-a-chip detects actual food allergies – Very cool, and potentially lifesaving.
  10. Facebook’s Zuckerberg admits mistakes, promises privacy fixes – Actions will speak louder than words.

Unblogged Bits for Thu, 22 Apr 2010, 8:01PM

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Obama To Bankers: Remember When Creating The FDIC Was Going To Ruin The Economy? – Anything that interferes with their ability to make whatever level of profit they choose will be accused of ruining their industry, if not the economy and/or Western Civilization.
  2. Fox News’ Islam problem – Just like their GOP “Party of NO” pals, Fox News continues to define itself by what it’s against.
  3. “It’s very dear to me, the issue of gay marriage. Or as I like to call it: ‘marriage.’ You know,…” – I’m sure there are some who’d prefer she did, in fact, add that modifier to everything she does.
  4. Cheney: Telling Leahy to ‘f*ck’ himself was ‘sort of the best thing I ever did.’ – Well, it was certainly one of the least harmful to the nation, aside from the damage to civil discourse, so maybe it was sort of the best.
  5. What Do Fox & ABC Have Against This Woman’s Boobs? – Clearly the networks prefer the “Emaciated” Look. More the fools they.
  6. Trust Me. I am a Bearded Man. – Believe me when I say this is entirely true.
  7. First They Came For Hitler… – Google/YouTube is overly sensitive to this sort of thing, probably due to business concerns and wanting to avoid having to throw their huge barrels of cash against lawsuits, let alone the possibility that someone might successfully challenge this kind of fair use in court. Sad, that Big Media (a) is knee-jerk about this kind of thing and (b) temporarily makes it unavailable to the rest of us.
  8. The 40 Dumbest Tax Day Signs: Pics, Videos, Links, News – Well, that says it all.
  9. Dumbass Quote of the Day [Dispatches from the Culture Wars] – And she was the person the GOP wanted a heartbeat away from the Presidency … and who some would like to hold that post. (Granted, she isn’t any less incoherent than Dubya was at times … but that tells you something right there.)

Unblogged Bits for Wed, 14 Apr 2010, 2:01AM

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Pam’s House Blend:: Florida Hospital Changes LGBT Policies After Denying Lesbian Right to Visit Her Dying Partner – And I’m sure the hospital did just what Jesus would have done. (I’m glad they are adjusting their policies, but how tragic that it took this sort of event — and publicity — to cause them to do so. Remember this the next time someone says that gay marriage is unnecessary because they just need to do all the right legal paperwork to have power of attorney …)
  2. Facebook (and Twitter) Killed the Blogging Star – For quick notes, Twitter is certainly more convenient. Facebook still feels like too much of a walled garden for me. I actually spend a lot more time in (ahem) Google Reader, commenting on feed items (which then get routed to my blog) … but my blog remains where I can talk at length about those things I would talk at length about.
  3. » Streuli: It was a rose by just the right name
  4. Nine Myths about Socialism in the US | CommonDreams.org – I would be inclined to agree that Centralized Planning and Bureaucracy is bad. But Social Darwinism and “everyone for himself” is also bad. Not to mention immoral.
  5. Please Do Not Change Your Password – The only basis for password-aging policies is the idea that folks share their passwords, and therefore if one of the people who knows Fred’s password leaves, the window of vulnerability is limited by the policy. I’m not sure how valid that assumption is, to be honest, but try telling that to your security people.
  6. Dr. Who’s “regeneration” meant to be like bad acid trip – That explains a lot about the Fourth Doctor, at least.
  7. CEO who led WaMu into failure made over $25 million in final year – Nice work, if you can get it.
  8. Wrong way planets screw up our perfectly good theories – “Who wants a Universe we understand completely and utterly? How boring that would be! Science is all about peeking around the next corner and seeing what’s there. And there are always more corners. Always.”
  9. Organizing for America | BarackObama.com | See how much you could save thanks to the Recovery Act – What? What? I was very clearly told that the Democrats were all about increased taxes! Glenn Beck said so! (Aha! I’m making too much money to qualify! So there, Mister “Tax Break” Man!)
  10. Birther In Military Under Investigation After Refusing To Obey Orders – It is certainly his prerogative to act according to his conscience — and face the consequences for said actions.
  11. HOUSTON: Arson Destroys Gay Church – Some folks who need some support — a worthy cause, I think.
  12. The American Family Association Tells Muslim-Americans To “Convert To Christianity” Or Leave – Wow. It’s like the Spanish Inquisition, only with Muslims instead of Jews. What next? The auto-de-fe?
  13. Sarah Palin Speaking Contract Demands: Big Jets And Bendable Straws – Ah, truly a fine representative for the common folk …
  14. Westboro Baptist Church: Denver schools warned about gay-hating protest — but will the group actually show? – Denver News – The Latest Word – Hmmmm … I might need to add doing something about this to my schedule that weekend …
  15. The Ghost of Bobby Lee – National – The Atlantic – Yes, it was about slavery. And pretending it wasn’t keeps us from recognizing and overcoming that legacy in our common humanity.
  16. WaMu’s Gruesome Autopsy | Mother Jones – Thank you ever-so-much, greedy bastards in the executive suites (who made tons of moolah) for driving a bank I actually enjoyed doing business with out of business (and into the arms of the dreaded Chase).
  17. Supreme Court Handicapping | Mother Jones – The Right is going to have kittens over whomever gets nominated. Nominating to the center might be vaguely useful for continuing to marginalize the Right as extremist, but a SCOTUS seat is not something to build up your chips with — it’s something to spend your chips on.

Unblogged Bits for Mon, 12 Apr 2010, 2:01AM

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Will: What conservatives truly want are activist judges. – Conservatives always say folks should defer to the law, until judges disagree with the conservatives. Then they say judges should defer to elected representatives, until elected representatives disagree with conservatives. Then, suddenly, they file lawsuits …
  2. Conservatives: overdriving their headlights – A nice summary of conservative (Right/GOP) thought at present. I’m not sure whether to worry more that they are leaving the reality-based political field to the Dems … or that they still seem to have influence and media coverage despite their incredible (or disingenuous) lunacy.
  3. Pam’s House Blend:: Inside the mind of a rational bigot. – The formatting is a big wacky, but this is a great take-down, at length and detail, of the whole “marriage is solely for procreative purposes and the raising of children” argument against gay marriage.
  4. This Land Is Your Land – SOCIALIST!
  5. Still Not Golden – Money graf: “It’s just plain wrongheaded to cast the libertarian project as the project of restoring lost liberties. Most people never had the liberties backward-looking libertarians would like to restore. I know the rhetoric of restoration can be very seductive, especially in a country unusually full (for a wealthy liberal democracy) of patriotic traditionalists. But restoration is a conservative project and liberty is a fundamentally progressive cause.”
  6. Conservative Dixie Carter on her gay fans – There’s nothing wrong with struggling with changes in society around you. But what’s wrong is ignoring the evidence of your eyes and simply clinging to the comfortable formulae of the past.
  7. Nanotech Vaccine Successfully Cures Type-1 Diabetes in Mice – Oooh … cool.
  8. Tree Railing | Design You Trust – That’s lovely.

Unblogged Bits for Fri, 2 Apr 2010, 11:39AM

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Railroad Crossing FAIL – Yeah, gotta careful you don’t scratch the paint on your hood …
  2. What does everyone want to know about their favorite star? – Apparently some people are very … curious? Concerned? Religious?
  3. Facebook | Official MemeShock Dictionary(4.0) *NEW AND IMPROVED! – Words mean things. Some folks seem to have too much time on their hands that they can come up with this variety of ideogically bent terminology.
  4. Leaders Make Better Liars – Actually, less “leaders” than “folks who feel powerful.” That explains a lot, though.
  5. Security Cameras in the New York City Subways – They cost money, they don’t work and … well, they don’t work, either. Brilliant.
  6. Amazing colour footage of an English road trip, August 1939… – It’s uncanny how real the color makes this film feel — like we’re looking out our window and seeing a collectable car club drive past, rather than this being the major highway north out of London in 8/39, 70 years ago.
  7. March Slideshow – Kate’s been doing a “photo a day” thang on her blog, and not only do I admire her diligence in doing so, she’s taking some great shots.
  8. Top Shelf Announces ‘League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: 1988” – ComicsAlliance | Comics culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews – I would so actually buy this.
  9. Emissions limits, greater fuel efficiency for cars, light trucks made official – washingtonpost.com – Excellent!
  10. Decorated liberal veterans – I suspect that a majority of members of the armed services are Republican. But it’s not as much a majority as one might think, and certainly not enough of one to engage in silly, insulting stereotypes, especially with as many counter-examples as there are.
  11. One of those weeks at the RNC – Bwah-ha-ha-ha-(snork)-ha-ha.
  12. Those imaginary IRS agents – (1) Hey, look at the lying liars lying some more. Idjits. On the other hand, (2) um, so if there’s no enforceable penalty … why would anyone feel compelled to comply if they didn’t want to?
  13. Joe. My. God.: Anti-Gay Group Threatens To Sue Feds Over Gay Marriage Census Count – If we pretend they don’t exist, maybe they’ll go away!
  14. Tea Partiers as “Tim McVeigh Wannabes”? – Um … yeah, I suspect some of them are, actually — but Hannity seems to think that’s a good thing.
  15. Concerned Women for America – Court Adds Insult to Injury – If someone suggested that a Christian church group protest march was being sued, I suspect the CWA would be right on the spot, defending their First Amendment rights to religious and political expression. Oh, but wait, the CWA has declared that Phelps & Co. aren't "real" Christians, so they feel free to take an opposite tack. It's so convenient when rights are tied to being (as you see it) "right." (Don't get me wrong — I am, amazingly, in alignment with the CWA as to the Phelpsies being despicable people and hardly in keeping with Christianity as I practice it. But, unlike them, I don't think that automatically disqualifies them from political rights I'd grant them if they were kind and saintly.)

Unblogged Bits for Mon, 8 Mar 2010, 10:56PM

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Obama To Republicans: ‘You Had Ten Years’ To Focus On Health Care Costs — ‘What Were You Doing?’ (VIDEO) | TPM LiveWire – Not only do they not have a coherent plan, their interest in doing something about the problem is clearly hand-waving distraction.
  2. CNN Regrets ‘Dept of Jihad?’ | Talking Points Memo – It should never have been there in the first place, but mild kudos for at least going through the apology motions.
  3. Clarence Thomas’ Revenge | Emptywheel – “Judges — not jailers — impose punishment.” What a maroon.
  4. Palin Defends Writing On Hand By Comparing Herself To God « Alan Colmes’ Liberaland – Wow. Y’know, if Obama pulled a quote from Isaiah out of context to defend something he’d done, the Right would be all over him like a cheap suit for being “arrogant” and “Messianic” and …
  5. An epitaph for CPAC – “CPAC is dead because they attacked WorldNetDaily, support gay marriage, and aren’t spending all their time questioning whether Obama was born in Kenya.” Wow. I’m almost tempted to send CPAC money. Almost.
  6. GayPolitics.com » Conservative California state senator comes out – And offers the lame excuse that he voted against gay rights all the time because his constituents expected him to “represent” them. Sorry, Roy, no “Profiles in Courage” award for you.
  7. CBN: Pat Robertson Comments About Chile Quake ‘Completely False’ | Christianpost.com – Pat Robertson wants you to know that HE NEVER SAID THESE OFFENSIVE THINGS. He only said those other offensive things. And they were just interpreted badly by EVIL ANTI-CHRISTIAN SECULARISTS. So there!
  8. Hilariously awesome. You must watch this. – Watching this, you consider whether to see it in the theaters or simply borrow someone’s DVD of it.
  9. Ultimate D&D-playing dungeon. And I do mean “ultimate.” – When I win a fortune from the lottery …
  10. Why Ad Blocking is devastating to the sites you love – Okay, so this may be the most cogent defense of web page ads I’ve seen. Though I’m still (selfishly) not turning off my ad blocker.
  11. After Telling Women, Gays How To Live, Oklahoma GOP Outraged At ‘Government Intervention’ In Divorces – “Government interference upon thee, but not upon me.”
  12. As Obama Nominees Languish, Committee Schedules Vote On Right-Wing McConnell Nominee – One would hope the Dems would have the balls to give as (badly) as they are being given on this. Besides the fact that it’s a bad nominee for the office.
  13. Democratic congresswoman proposes pay cut for members of Congress. – Of course, it’s largely symbolic — most Congresscritters are independently wealthy, and if they weren’t then all this would do would be to encourage some to seek more behind-closed-doors financial support. On the other hand, symbolism matters.

Unblogged Bits for Thu, 4 Mar 2010, 8:00PM

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Idaho pictographs defaced by graffiti – Rrg.
  2. WWII in colour – Not a big fan of colorization of "normal" films — but it can be a useful technique for historic footage (with the assumption that the original B&W is still maintained).
  3. The Escapist : News : Porn Detection Stick Will Find Your Hidden Stash – Eek!
  4. Did Atlantis Exist? – Answers in Genesis – Using Biblical Literalist Science to discuss Atlantis. Um … yeeeeaaahh …
  5. It’s All About the Ronalds : The New Yorker – They could be commemorative! Collect the whole set!
  6. Light cone – This is pretty darned cool. Useless, but cool.
  7. YouTube Gets Automatic Captioning For All Videos [YouTube] – I’m sure there will be errors (some hilarious), but this is still very, very cool.
  8. Marriage Equality in DC – Congrats!
  9. Manufactured controversy of the day – One has to wonder what Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett think when the GOP Noise Machine turns on (or at least ignores) them.
  10. Right-wing targets the ‘Gitmo Nine’ – Money quote: “These lawyers were advocating on behalf of our Constitution and our laws. The detention policies of the Bush administration were unconstitutional and illegal, and no higher a legal authority than the Supreme Court of the United States agreed,” says Ken Gude, a human-rights expert with the Center for American Progress, of the recent assault on the Justice Department. “The disgusting logic of these attacks is that the Supreme Court is in league with al-Qaeda.”
  11. Judd Gregg has no idea what he’s talking about – The problem, he does have an idea what he’s talking about. “There’s no incentive for Republicans to tell the truth, just as there’s no consequences for them failing to tell the truth. So, they’ll just keep making stuff up, as Judd Gregg exemplifies.”
  12. Liz Cheney Falsely Claims Her ‘Al Qaeda 7’ Smear Ad ‘Doesn’t Question Anybody’s Loyalty’ – Liz Cheney is being, um, disingenuous. To put it politely.

Unblogged Bits for Thu, 25 Feb 2010, 1:46AM

Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….

  1. Despite the Right’s Objections, Maryland May Recognize Same-Sex Marriages from Other States – The article makes a good case that opposition to recognition of extra-state gay marriages “has nothing to do with state sovereignty. It has everything to do with animus against gays and lesbians.”
  2. The Democrats’ Republican plan – Money graf: “For all the hysterical whining from today’s Republican Party and its right-wing allies, the Democratic plan couldn’t be any less radical. Not only is it practically identical to what moderate Republicans wanted nearly 20 years ago, but its basic structure is the same as the plan Howard Baker, Bob Dole, and Tom Daschle were touting last year.”
  3. Success on Zazi case leads to silence on the right – If they don’t have something not nice to say, they’ll just say nothing at all.
  4. Against it before they were for it – Here’s hoping that their opponents — both among the Dems and among their own party’s challengers — call them on this over the next year.
  5. Radicals, rifts, and the right – Money graf: “So, let me get this straight. Prominent conservative voices don’t mind Beck’s deranged conspiracy theories, his humiliating ignorance, and his hatred for those who don’t think as he does. But these conservative voices mind a great deal if Beck notes that Republicans have an embarrassing record when it comes to deficit reduction, the national debt, government spending, and increasing the size and scope of the federal government’s powers — an observation that happens to be true.” It sounds like Beck’s usefulness to the cause may be just about up if he doesn’t tone down his criticisms of the GOP.
  6. Ben Dimiero: “Nuclear Option” stupidity comes full circle – The despicably disingenuous relabeling of the “nuclear option” aside, I’m trying to figure out the headling “51 Vote ‘Nuclear Option’ Is ‘Arrogant’ Power Grab Against the Founder’s Intent” … because, y’know, looking at what the Founders ACTUALLY PUT IN THE CONSTITUTION it sure seems to me that 51 votes (or over half the chamber) is what they intended.
  7. Brooke Obie: Right-wing media link new agency logo to Obama’s, Pepsi’s, Iran’s, Islamic Crescent – Folks … SOMETIMES A CIGAR IS JUST A CIGAR. Claiming the MDA is imitating O)bama campaign logo AND the Iranian space agency and the Islamic crescent … is just nuts. (Indeed, the idea that this is somehow truckling to the Iranians, when I can just see hostile Muslim countries claiming this as a sign that the MDA is targeting Islam makes the nuttiness even nuttier.)
  8. NYT publishes the real exposé about NY governor Paterson. It ain’t pretty. – Looks like a pretty clear abuse of power to me.
  9. Teacher Calls Police On Student Who Refuses To Say Pledge Of Allegiance – The teacher should be fired. Also, sued. What he did was not only abusive toward a child, but illegal and unethical and harmful to every other kid in the class, by teaching that bullying and shaming and forced compliance to the standards of the powerful is acceptable. Rrrg.
  10. Almost All Legislative Advances In Health Care Passed Via Reconciliation – Aside from a nice take-down of the talking point, it’s fascinating to learn where “COBRA” (post-employment) coverage came from.
  11. Walmart Kills Vudu’s Porn Section Altogther [Vudu] – It is, of course, Walmart’s right to do that — and it’s something that most folks won’t worry about. But private censorship by monopoly is not that much better than public censorship by the government. And as Niemoeller might have said, “First they came for the porn, but I didn’t care because I didn’t watch porn. Then they came for the …”
  12. Ex-Officer Pleads Guilty In Katrina Bridge Shootings : NPR – I hope the cops involved in this are nailed to the frelling wall. No greater abuse of the public trust from peace officers can be imagined.
  13. Google facts and figures (massive infographic) – No history of the past decade (if not this one) will ever be complete without mentioning Google. It’s that influential and pervasive.