Link round-up for 10 March 2013

Happy cows!  Hovering ice!  Free health care!

Check out these goofy ads from the mid-20th century (found via Mendip).

Any subject you can imagine, someone has probably written a book about it.

A couple of great discussions of Orson Scott Card this week, at David E's Fablog (with an appearance by Pat Condell!) and Gin and Tacos.

Here's a Texan with guts.

Why do they arrest people for this instead of for letting their dogs crap in the parks?

Weird religious imagery from half a century ago reveals a world-view that probably still lives on in much of the right wing.

Little by little, the health-care system is improving.

The University of North Carolina has an almost Catholic-Church-like policy of coddling accused rapists.

CPAC will have more black faces on display this year, but it's keeping the door open to white-supremacy cultists too (found via Republic of Gilead).   But the country has changed.

Lazy entrepreneurs at the Solid Gold Bomb T-shirt company learn the dangers of random computer-generated slogans.  Unfortunately their letter of apology looks like it was also generated by a computer doing a bad imitation of standard English.

In California, even big business is abandoning the Republicans.

There's another science-denialism scam making the rounds.

The last good Republican ran things based on reality, not myths.

The pro-religion "argument from incredulity" proves nothing but the mental limitations of the person making it.

Capitalism works best when left alone (found via Squatlo).

"Religions are not sources of objective morals, they are sources of excuses for behaving immorally."

Rolling Jubilee is a resistance project fighting back against debt.  Meanwhile, here's what the banks have been doing to our troops.

Christians and Republicans in Tennessee indulge in a barrage of anti-gay measures.

On September 11, F-16 pilot Lt. Heather Penney received a daunting order.

Our law-enforcement priorities are a national disgrace.

Republicans are still out to destroy Medicare, and they're using psychology.

In the fight against gay marriage, the Christian Right has an ally.

Even if the South really weren't racist, Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act would still be needed.

A new Pope won't save the Catholic Church (found via Republic of Gilead).

Booman Tribune has a thoughtful assessment of Ashley Judd.  The Republicans are already on the attack.

A former member of the Westboro Baptist Church reveals just how weird it really is.

A sane conservative sees that the left is winning, but his comrades yearn for teh crazy (and they've got some).  Obama is trying to peel off enough sane Congressional Republicans to form a working majority with the Democrats.  The embarrassment of CPAC shows that the teabaggers are still in charge on the right.

Capitalism rewards people according to what they contribute -- yeah, right (found via Squatlo).

The Violence Against Women Act passes, and right-wingers moan and whine and moan and whine.  The Catholic hierarchy doesn't like it either.

The difference between the US economic recovery and Britain's plunge back into recession comes down to one word.

Hidden in a seemingly-innocuous EU resolution is a call for stupid and staggeringly far-reaching censorship.

It's not just Nessie -- Scotland seems to be awash in monsters.

Today and tomorrow, Falkland Islanders vote in a referendum on their future.

A new anti-EU, pro-democracy party has been formed in Germany. The old D-mark is back in unofficial circulation and gaining in popularity.

You'll never guess which country has the highest productivity (found via Uzza).

Muslim immigrants in the Netherlands express their views (found via Lady Atheist).

Think Americans are clueless about history?  Check out Austria.

The Vatican and the Iranian theocracy oppose UN efforts to stop violence against women (found via Republic of Gilead).

In Pakistan, a huge mob of Muslim fanatics attacks and burns out a local Christian minority (found via Booman Tribune).

Saudi Arabia executes robbers -- by crucifixion.

A baby has apparently been cured of HIV.

The Global Future 2045 Congress on emerging technology is at risk of discrediting its mission.