Tag-Archive for » supreme court «

January 23rd, 2010 | Author: sarcozona

Most people who want to help in a disaster actually make things worse.

The United States just legalized corruption.  Really government, corporations AREN’T PEOPLE.

If a person was knowingly endangering the water supply of so many people, he/she would get more than a slap on the wrist fine.

Interestingly, corporations fight hard for their own personhood, but not for the personhood of actual people, like Yemenese women and girls.

This really just makes me want to accuse fervently praying people in airports of suspicious behavior.

Solving complex networking problems with slime mold is genius.

Rita Trudgett, wicket keeper, Australia, 1930s by Sam Hood

Rita Trudgett, wicket keeper, Australia, 1930s by Sam Hood

Overpopulation and lack of family planning services in Pakistan hurt education and breed religious fundamentalism.

Cops and prosecutors in New Orleans are disgusting.

A great post on what patriarchy is and why getting rid of it is good for women AND men.

A recent study on why men pay for sex turns up a whole lot of misogyny. Interestingly, while feminists are often blamed for the idea that all men are potential rapists, some men in this study make a similar, but more disturbing claim – that without sex, men can’t help but rape. Most feminists today would argue that men are actual human beings, as opposed to animals that can’t possibly contain their “urges.”

Debunking the “God must exist because Earth is perfect for life” myth.

Losing species can create dangerous feedback loops.  The loss or decline of a number of plant species has created a poorer diet for honeybees, leading to a decline in their population. Fewer honeybees means fewer pollinators means fewer seeds means fewer plants.

This week I was glad I have a steep roof.

A very good account of the Creation Museum.  Especially good, I think, is the way it describes how the particular breed of Christianity that promotes creationism is very, very far from what could be considered good things in religion – a sense of unity, beauty, and a universe bigger than ourselves – and is instead “more replete with proof than a Soviet show trial” and “bereft of any soul.”

Prison rape isn’t funny and it’s a real problem.  This is a fantastic ad campaign dealing with the issue.

Grandma and Grandpa and the old Ford Explorer

May 31st, 2009 | Author: sarcozona

Lesbian stereotypes are so much fun to play with.

The conservatives on the Supreme Court think pregnancy discrimination is ok.  I don’t get it – shouldn’t they consider it double discrimination?

Fathers with daughters often become more liberal. I’d say that’s good evidence that current conservative policies hurt women.  Of course, you could also say that spending too much time with women makes men too “soft.”

Choosing Sotomayor was a pretty good political move.

A memorial day thought that made me cry.

PZ on the horrific crimes of the Irish Catholic Church: Can we stop equating religion and morality now? They never seem to have much to do with one another.

This woman deserves to go to jail for murder.  And maybe her pastor, too.

Race and terrorism.

The Sri Lankan government has been leveling all sorts of terrible accusations against the Tamil Tigers.  Looks like the pot was calling the kettle black.

How to get straight couples to understand why the right to marry is important.

The Christian god isn’t the only real god according to the Bible.  He just thinks he’s better.

Delara Darabi – if there had been more news coverage in the West, she may have lived.

To keep you up at night.

I think The Onion does a good job summarizing my views so far on the Obama Presidency:  Obama Revises Campaign Promise Of ‘Change’ To ‘Relatively Minor Readjustments In Certain Favorable Policy Areas’

May 01st, 2008 | Author: sarcozona

Temperatures are expected to be a bit cooler in the next decade due to natural cycles, but after that, the current too-fast rate of warming will continue.  Hopefully people pay attention to articles like this instead of saying “well it’s been really cold the last few years so global warming can’t be a problem.”

Some scary things have happened on the supreme court in the past few years.  Do something about it.

Nuclear power has some serious problems.  Like nuclear waste.  Also, it’s got a wicked high carbon cost.

The new poll tax.

Dave Neiwert on Obama, Jeremiah Wright, and things Americans don’t like to talk about:

It’s human, of course, to want to think of yourself as a good person, and your country as a good country. Which is why it’s human of white Americans — the descendants and beneficiaries of the people who perpetrated these atrocities — to want to forget that these things happened. And they want to believe that because these events were in the past, and they took some initial steps toward reconciliation 40 years ago, the issues should have gone away, and if they haven’t, well, it’s the victims’ fault.

Choosing to buy bottled water may lead to having to buy bottled water as our municipal water supplies go bad.  So don’t buy bottled water.

This is definitely what those crazy churches’ retreats are like.  It’s terrifying that there are so many people who’ve been taught not to think.

And in the same vein, religion is child abuse.

Good science education is important for everyone.  An English TA comments on a student paper: “I personally have lots of reservations regarding evolution (even scientifically).”  This is appalling.  As one scientist put it

“Imagine a teaching assistant writing, ‘I personally have lots of reservations regarding the fact the Earth is round.’”

You may have heard Ben Stein recently claiming that “science leads to killing,” specifically that it led to the Holocaust.  A powerful refutation of his nonsense.

My period might save your life.

Someone needs to tell the Swiss government that plants could care less about their dignity.

Compassionate conservative Douglas Bruce calls immigrants “illiterate peasants.”

Obama and Clinton tap into anti-intellectual sentiment.

In Britain, donkeys get more government support than women.