12 March 2011

Link round-up for 12 March 2011


Again -- click here to donate to the recall effort in Wisconsin.

Aboard the Enterprise, Spock makes time to check his Facebook page (found via Mendip).

LOL God presents a handy bullshit detector.

This drunk-driving priest didn't handle his arrest well.

Mendip is keeping alien invaders at bay.

I have nothing against horror movies, but this one's promotional campaign is grossly irresponsible.

In this case, on the other hand, the movie itself sounds awful.

Here's another case of ludicrous over-reaction by control-freak school administrators (found via Mendip).

A creationist babbles incoherently about morality.

How bad was the recession? That depends.

This story reminds me why that vasectomy was such a good idea (found via Mendip).

Conservative James Joyner can't find many conservatives worth reading these days.

Here's yet another reason why religion and government shouldn't mix. David Suzuki takes a tougher stand (found via Preliator pro Causa).

"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty" doesn't mean quite what some think.

Activists in the West can learn from the Egyptians.

Religion does plenty to make people mad.

The fundamentalist "culture of life" has ghastly real-world effects.

Contradictions within holy texts may help religion survive.

Yes, it really is that simple.

Joseph Cannon looks at modern slavery.

The Heathen Republican is investigating American values.

General Social Survey data confirm rising public support for gay marriage and legal marijuana.

Here's more on Koch Industries' ties to Stalin and influence over Governor Walker (both found via Caffeine Convoy).

Terrorist Kevin William Harpham is being strangely ignored. But there is investigative journalism being done out there.

Glenn Beck may be circling the drain.

Legislative immunity creates a conundrum. Certain others' de facto immunity is an even bigger problem.

The Florida Turnpike Authority detains and harasses people who pay tolls with large bills (found via Preliator pro Causa). Also via Preliator: two ugly miscarriages of justice in Texas.

Low voter turn-out helped Republicans in 2010 -- and they aim to apply that lesson in 2012.

Huckabee seems to be channeling Dan Quayle these days (found via Republic of Gilead).

Republican state representative Martin Harty has an idea for what to do about defective people (sent by Mendip). More here.

Schaeffer Cox has friends in high places.

Continued EU blundering inflicts yet more damage on southern Europe's economies.

Le Refuge in Montpellier, France, provides a sanctuary for young gay people fleeing religious persecution.

For the Arabs to succeed in building democracy, they must tackle one other problem.

Al-Jazeera looks at the potential for an uprising in Syria.

Tunisia's interim government has abolished the much-feared state security apparatus.

Libyan rebels call for air strikes as Qaddhafi re-captures some towns. France may have reasons of its own for intervening.

We've just seen one of the most powerful earthquakes in recorded history strike near a densely-populated area, but the death toll was surprisingly low -- because of government regulations.

Are earthquakes getting more frequent? No.

Have scientists found bacteria in meteorites? No.

Elephants know how to co-operate. A dramatic example is here.

Women may find casual sex as appealing as men do -- but only under certain conditions.

Handedness can affect our judgment of good and bad.

I thought threats like this belonged back in the days of Galileo and Copernicus.

Geminoid DK is the first humanoid robot of its kind to be based on a non-Japanese person (found via Mendip).

A new book exposes a tiny group of scientists who attack science.

My home state strikes a blow against deadly superstition.

This usage of robotics is cheeting.

The ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica are melting faster than climate scientists predicted.

We have much to learn from the naked mole rat.

An advanced artificial retina is going into use in Europe.

[Note: Image at top found via Progressive Eruptions.]

6 Comments:

Blogger mendip said...

Thanks for all the citations. I absolutely love the report of the priest offering himself to get out of a DUI. Until now, I didn't really get that whole "Render unto Caesar" thing...

12 March, 2011 15:12  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

The cops must have wondered whether to laugh or be grossed out. I wouldn't be surprised to hear of some Republican Congressman trying the same gambit, though.

12 March, 2011 17:19  
Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

Good Morning Infodell!

I was just starting to go through these this morning, so wanted to say's THANX for the selection ... beside's ... I didnt know aout that stuff in Texas either about miscarriage's of justice

13 March, 2011 07:29  
Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

The drunk priest thing sounded cool ... as far as the jail cell thing, with him as a sex slave giving BJ's sound's cool with me ... I even actually have the leather clothes and matching leather hood, whip's and riding crop's too, I can play that game with confidence! :)

Never had a catholic priest before! :)

13 March, 2011 08:14  
Anonymous Ahab said...

On a lighter note, Geminoid DK is incredibly lifelike, but veers somewhat into uncanny valley territory. I wish I understood why things that look too human cause this reaction in some people, myself included.

13 March, 2011 17:26  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

RC: Not a bad ploy, but he clearly misjudged his audience, in more ways than one.

Never had a catholic priest before! :)

Well, there's a first time for everything. I don't think I'll have one, though -- I'm a vegetarian.

Ahab: We humans seem to be disturbed by things that approximate our own appearance too closely. Many people find chimpanzees ugly or even disturbing to look at, precisely because they're too close to human. I don't know if an extremely human-like appearance is even the best goal for robotics, anyway -- getting closer to human-like intelligence seems more important, though also even more difficult (for now).

13 March, 2011 17:31  

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