Link round-up for 13 May 2012

What a wanker.

Who's the real hero of the Bible?  (Aside from this guy.)

Here's the US-Mexico relationship in one cartoon.

Religionists draw the line on free speech.

There are reasons to ban gay marriage.

Can you go to Hell for tone of voice?

This is the real difference between a cult and a religion.

Retronaut has some deep dark illustrations of Poe (found via Mendip).

If you shop at Wal-Mart, read this.

Show us your papers.

In 1932 this was considered humane, apparently.

Here's some advice for rich people (found via Norbrook).

There's misogyny, and then there's misogyny.

Sorry, but stuff like this is completely ridiculous, and stuff like this is disgusting.

Obama's change of heart on gay marriage could be a political winner (while Republicans' anti-gay stance looks like a loser).  "Flip-flop" won't work as a response.  Here are some headlines.  And some right-wingers are going completely bonkers.

The story of Romney's high-school cruelty matters because it fits his life-long pattern (more here).  No, the story has not been "debunked".  See this comment thread for some stomach-turning right-wing excuse-making and minimization.

Here's another equally weird comment thread -- yes, it's the 21st century and there are still people who think like this.

If you're a hot chick, the TSA is interested.

Romney's record shows he's a member of the parasite class -- and a sociopath.

Anti-gay hatred is frightening, but doomed to decline.

Of all Romney's lies, this one is perhaps the most brazen.  Granholm talks tough.

Some Christians get it (more here).

Gallup's demographic data explain why its polls are less favorable to Obama than others are.

Engineer of Knowledge looks at nine Republican lies about women.

This is one of the best assessments I've seen of Romney's character.

The Ron Paul stealth campaign moves forward and could cause problems for Romney (my assessment here).

Romney represents the failed ideas of the past.

Austerity has led to economic disaster in Britain.

France's new President promises to fight for "an end to austerity" in Europe, as democracy fights back and triumphs.

The best countries to be a mother are the most secular ones (found via The Immoral Minority).

If we're not careful, Canada could destroy the world, but the Dutch are preparing.

Fleabag dinosaurs farted global warming, but didn't explode.

The protein bmp8B could be the key to easier weight loss.

The Old Testament is fiction (actually, as I've written before, it's a forgery).

"Segmented sleep", not eight straight hours a night, may be the true human norm.

Maria Konovalenko has photos from a major recent conference on aging in Moscow -- and hints of an imminent breakthrough.

Be kind, when you can.

[Image at end found via Smartypants.]