Link round-up for 23 April 2011

In Sweden, internet piracy has now declared itself a religion (found via Mendip).

Mrs. Betty Bowers imagines a Republican science curriculum.

Canada's "Slutwalk", an exuberant protest against puritanical attitudes about female dress, comes to the US.

Still need something special for Easter? Check out the chocolate Cthulhu (found via Mendip).

Baby T-Rex visits a TV studio (found via TYWKIWDBI).

Jesus-loving ladies aren't quite so pure and holy.

Alex Pareene has an exuberant take-down of WorldNutDaily (found via Preliator pro Causa).

Mendip is unimpressed by the Iranian military.

PZ Myers prepares to commemorate the first zombie uprising.

An intrepid explorer braves the darkest depths of the MRA "Spearhead Forum" and comes back with some juicy screencaps (found via Man Boobz).

Obama-birth-certificate nuttiness threatens the Republican party's chances of nominating a sane Presidential candidate.

Men who hate women hate women who love men who hate women.

If you think this isn't racist, you may be a teabagger.

Bret Alan looks at the problem of liberal timidity.

More on how Louis Marinelli saw the light, here and here.

Illegal immigration has plummeted, thanks to the Bush recession and stricter enforcement under Obama.

Teresa Cotsirilos looks back at the murder of Dr. George Tiller and the events that led up to it (found via Republic of Gilead).

Tea Party support has fallen sharply in Kentucky in just the last six months. One Republican state rep there has switched parties.

Don't miss Christopher Hitchens's brief but beautiful letter to the American Atheists convention.

Texan readers -- what do you think of Ricardo Sanchez's chances for the Senate?

Yet another poll makes it clear: Americans want to fix the deficit by raising taxes on the rich, not by cutting services.

Even at religious colleges, gay self-awareness emerges and fights for recognition.

Some Democrats are willing to get aggressive -- including Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. And targeting those who voted to end Medicare looks like a good move too.

Even though a majority of Americans now support gay marriage, Republicans insist on fighting for the doomed cause.

Apparently lying isn't a sin if it serves a higher Christian purpose.

Vatican representative Archbishop Silvano Tomasi explains that it's the persecutors of gays who are the real victims (found via Republic of Gilead).

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, once touted as Presidential material, isn't looking so hot now.

Jonathan Turley explains the four Rs of teabaggerdom (found via Jobsanger).

I found this book review encouraging -- it suggests that religion will fade away over time as the world becomes more prosperous.

Pelosi has a chance to save the day in the debt-ceiling fight.

Hate the sin, hate the sinner (found via Republic of Gilead).

The Duke lacrosse accuser has now been charged with murder.

Republicans are still pushing Laffer-curve nonsense despite the fact that it's been refuted by experience.

I was right -- S&P are dunces and should be ignored.

A startling admission from a conservative: low-tax free-market economics simply hasn't delivered as promised.

The Libyan intervention is America's first military air campaign commanded by a woman.

British Harrier jet pilots do a last fly-by of the Parliament that is cutting back on Harrier jets (lean back from the screen a bit).

Islamic censorship of Western ads is not only amateurish but reveals the weird obsessiveness of the sexophobic mentality.

Ed West has a good summary of the problems caused by too much immigration (he's talking about Britain, but much of this could apply in any country).

An atheist march in Spain has been banned -- the posters were too honest.

Britain hasn't banned the veil (yet), but self-appointed Islamist spokesmen have declared it mandatory.

Libyan doctor Ramadan Atewah left a safe practice in Britain to help Qaddhafi's victims.

Egyptians are optimistic about the future, and only 25% want a theocracy (though the support for religion having some role in government is worrying).

Lady Atheist reviews PBS Nova's series on history and the Bible.

Carolina Parrothead reviews Agora, a film dramatizing the rise of Christianity and the death of Classical civilization.

Former global-warming denialist D.R. Tucker explains how he came to accept reality.

Bolivia exemplifies the tragedy of global warming -- those most affected by it have the least power to stop it.

One reason memory declines in older people is that the brain gets cluttered up with distractions.

Are wild animals happier than those in humane captivity?

The Christian Right uses lies to fight against research on curing paralysis (found via Republic of Gilead).

Stem-cell rejuvenation holds promise for fighting the diseases of aging.

The future of biotechnology may lie with small-scale, independent "biohackers".