Link round-up for 26 January 2014

"They stamp them when they're small."  And this hardened criminal may get off.

Here are some realistic action toys.

One participant in this spam e-mail campaign was a refrigerator (found via Mendip, who echoes Dave Lister).

Sometimes Jim Goad hits one out of the park.  He's done so here, on "fat acceptance".

Robert Marucci, 18, got a job to help out with family expenses.  Why did his school try to punish him?

Women fight back against the scourge of football.

Keep talking, Huckabee.  Actually, all of you.  Including Ted Nugent.  And these guys.  But Scott Walker's record speaks for itself.

Two simple photos highlight California's drought.

Need more iron?  Eat a skillet (well, in moderation).

Bitcoin is designed to reflect the libertarian agenda (found via Critiques of Libertarianism).  Or maybe it's a groping agenda.

Christianity is driving away the young (and judging by the comments, it's gonna keep happening).

There's more to Christie than Bridgegate.

Mark Zmuda, the teacher fired from a Catholic school for marrying his gay partner, will not be re-hired.

The private contractor that does background checks on prospective NSA employees has been faking them.

Teabaggers are out for blood -- moderate Republican blood -- and they're dragging the party to its doom.

Lisa Kerr explains why she's no longer a Christian (found via Republic of Gilead).

Do Republicans want another debt-ceiling fight?  Booman thinks he knows what's going on.

More "knockout" attacks, in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Democrats may be going populist after all.  One issue they can use is gay marriage.

One is legal, the other is not.

Brains and Eggs looks at the latest attacks on Wendy Davis.

The 2014 "March for Life" was a 100% religious event (found via Republic of Gilead).

Elections have consequences.

More Catholic evil comes to light in Chicago.

A Nebraska atheist wants to close a tax loophole.

Martin Luther King ended a reign of terror (found via Progressive Eruptions).

This is how Fox does polls.

A Canadian court ruling offers a chance to do prostitution laws better.

Think you can "cure" gays?  Take Dr. Jessen's challenge (found via Republic of Gilead).

In Britain, a more secular society than the US, the head of the Association for Science Education is free to tell it like it is.

Why has Europe's economic recovery been so much weaker than ours?  Deep cuts in government spending.

Here are ten popular myths about World War I.

The UN calls the Vatican to account.

The struggle in Ukraine is heating up as the government loses control.  Photos here, a strange case of police brutality here, my background overview here.

Elton John speaks out for Russian gays who are no longer allowed to speak for themselves.

The Putin Olympics are shaping up to be an epic fiasco.  The terrorist threat is real, but the security is overkill.

Some Senate Democrats are pushing back against attempted sabotage of the Iran deal.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood continues to fight the secular military government.

A tribal court in India metes out traditional justice. Indian women may prefer this option.

In Pakistan, a mentally-ill man has been sentenced to death for blasphemy.  Terrorists are targeting a polio vaccination drive there (but note that an earlier CIA operation had already damaged the credibility of such projects).

A Japanese airline ran a racist ad with a difference.

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard looks at the dangerous state of China's banking system.  Some of the best-connected are already keeping their money outside the country.

Nigeria's new anti-gay law provokes opposition, but also support from Western Christians (see comments).

Gays are sick -- just like, you know, witches (found via Republic of Gilead).

The lost, rat-infested Lyubov Orlova won't be easy to find.

2013 was tied for fourth-hottest year on record.  Since scientific record-keeping began 134 years ago, 9 of the 10 hottest years were in the 21st century.  Obviously, gays are the problem.  Not this guy.

Richard Dawkins has some advice for Bill Nye, worth reading for anyone.

Elephant behavior is so sophisticated that it probably qualifies as being culture.

Signs of water, and a possible ocean, appear in an unexpected place in the solar system.