Link round-up for 21 December 2014

It's been a dismal month.  Have a cute sleepy duckling.

Here's a round-up of quirky menorahs (found via Mendip).

This is a real place -- Prohodna cave, Bulgaria (found via Snowstorm 13 (NSFW tumblr)).

Some Muslims have a sense of humor.

Why is Frozen so popular?  It hits all the right notes for girls.

The far right has heartwarming Christmas carols.

Wow, Bill O'Reilly really is a moron.

There's now an actual academic journal dedicated to the study of porn (NSFW gifs).  Let's hope they don't invite this idiot to contribute.

Apparently some airline pilots are complete assholes.

Students and activists plan opposition to the upcoming "Response Louisiana" hatefest.

Green Eagle has a photo history of this year's right-wing rallies.

The US now has less than a third as many nuns as in 1965 (found via Republic of Gilead).

The income gap between the rich and the middle in the US is larger than ever, with the top 0.1% doing best of all (found via Politics Plus).

Republicans in Oklahoma and Nebraska are being jerks again (found via Fair and Unbalanced).

Just came across this thoughtful essay on attitudes toward blasphemy.

Obama's been keeping busy this month -- not that he was slacking before.

Here's a true story of abortion without the clichés and nonsense.  This Missouri Republican prefers clichés and nonsense (found via Republic of Gilead).

Hillary flattens all comers, Democrat or Republican.

Cops in California get caught trying to frame a politician.  This Georgia judge is just as bad.

On the Keystone XL pipeline, here's a question and an answer.

If torture is acceptable.....

Zandar looks at Republican hysterics over Obama's Cuba initiative, and how their efforts to destroy the social safety net are a backdoor route to theocracy.

Andrew Hawkins speaks out.

North Carolina public schools become a channel for Koch propaganda.

Here's the case of Khaled el-Masri, an innocent man held and tortured by the CIA for four months.

A recent right-wing anti-Obama protest erupts into lynching fantasies.

Here's one more thug who won't threaten any more innocent people.  I see no case to be made that it would be better if the shop employee had been unarmed.

Beware of Christian love.

Got some more Christian love for you right here.

Matthew Fenner got some Christian love too (found via Republic of Gilead).

Gosh, you mean religious nuts actually have to obey the law like everyone else?

Behold the end result of fascist aggression, 1945 (found via GoodShit).

Check out Jakub Polomski's spectacular photos of Austria.

Poland, with its vivid historical memory, is very worried about Putin. Here's Putin's real position.

Greenpeace has royally screwed up and must help Peru get custody of the vandals.

100 foreign fighters who joined ISIS have been executed by ISIS for wanting to go home.

Some of the teachers at the Peshawar school were burned alive by the Taliban.  Photos from the attack here.  Reactions here, still coming thick and fast on Twitter.

Pakistani Muslims -- not Westerners -- protest furiously outside a mosque which has failed to condemn the Peshawar attack.

Here's a little reminder of what Japanese nationalists want you to forget.

North Koreans are getting The Interview, one way or another.

Here's a good round-up of what's happening in the Arctic and why.

The year's top science stories include some intriguing work on blood plasma and aging.

[Image at top:  The Taliban who carried out the Peshawar school attack pose in front of banners bearing the Islamic creed before setting out on their mission.]

Extra added link:  Will this be the next torture revelation to hit the fan?  Holy shit.