08 February 2015

Link round-up for 8 February 2015

Stop it, you're ruining the language!

Kids finish proverbs, better than the real thing.

Vermont's dumbest people respond to a suggested Latin motto for the state.

Here's a glimpse of the upcoming Frozen mini-sequel.

The Stock Photobomber incorporates himself into stock photos, with often-amusing results.

What is it with Pennsylvania towns?

Far-right-wing Americans have their own views about ISIS.

Christie's vaccination gaffe encourages ordinary Republicans to show off why they've become known as the anti-science party (see comments).  Oh, and then there's this guy.

Being offended doesn't mean you're justified.

These people exist.

It's not marriage that makes good parents (found via GoodShit).

There are reasons why religion correlates with child abuse.

ThinkProgress explains the difference between Bill Jack's anti-gay cake stunt and real discrimination, while HuffPo has more on the Christian Right's real goals in the cake wars (both found via Republic of Gilead).

Religio-baggots freak out over inclusive greeting cards.

Veteran Jim Adams has some choice words for Republicans.

Republic of Gilead has detailed reports on the Response Louisiana hatefest and the protests against it.

Sorry, baggots, Obama was right about history and religionMore here.

In the swing states, it's still Hillary über alles.

In a nutshell, here's conservative health care policy and conservative economics (both found via Squatlo Rant).

Tommy Dean Gaa is an appalling person.

OK, Rand Paul is right about this one.

Sometimes liberals just don't understand religion.

A Supreme Court ruling against Obamacare would hurt the American people, but also hurt the Republicans.

Gaaack, retch.....OK, no more eggs for me.

For the first time in a millennium, Iceland is building a temple to the Norse gods.

Among the ancient Romans, managing slaves was something of an art (found via GoodShit).

Obama supports Greece's effort to loosen disastrous austerity policies, but the European Central Bank insists the insanity must continue.  Though Greeks fear abandoning the euro currency, doing so is probably their ticket to recovery.

Porn can be liberating, but Iran isn't quite as deprived as Richard Dawkins imagines.

There are occasions when hate and revenge are proper and appropriate responses.  The funeral of Mu'âdh al-Kassâsbah was one of them.

If you want to write honestly about the Kurds, stay the hell out of Turkey.

Putin is so desperate for friends that he's cozying up to Kim Jong Un.

Sometimes taking advice from the Bible is a really bad idea.

No Terminator robots, please.

[Gay cake image found via Snowstorm Thirteen]

7 Comments:

Blogger Ahab said...

As a Pennsylvanian, I'm very much aware of the scandalous names of our small towns. I think the names are charming, actually!

Lady Freethinker's piece on the abuse of chickens was disturbing but necessary. More and more, people are becoming aware of the brutality inherent in factory farming. The question is, how will society respond?

As for the Live Science article about the impact of family structure versus money in children's upbringing, I'm glad this research is getting out. The right-wing argument that children need a father and mother isn't necessarily true. Rather, children need stable and trustworthy caregivers (whatever the family configuration), structure, opportunities, and monetary resources. Funny how right-wingers attack LGBTQ rights as a threat to children but seem indifferent to poverty, an ACTUAL danger to children.

The cake is aesthetically beautiful, but I'd eat around the icing.

08 February, 2015 09:30  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

Ahab: Oh, they're certainly charming. But I'm surprised the local religio-nutters haven't tried to change some of them.

I think people in 50 years will look back on how we treat animals the same way we look back on witch-burning and slavery. The cruelty involved is just staggering. I really don't think most people would endorse these practices if they knew about them.

Of course the right-wingers aren't interested in fighting poverty effectively. That might require somebody to, you know, pay for something.

08 February, 2015 10:31  
Blogger mendip said...

Another set of excellent links, Thanks! As something of a fan of South Central Pennsylvania, I've actually been to several of the towns mentioned in that one link. Blue Ball is a nice little town. I think that Intercourse may have the distinction of having its town sign stolen more than any other. It's also something of a tourist trap, (although a few of the artisans shops are nice).

08 February, 2015 11:31  
Blogger Shaw Kenawe said...

All good stuff. But the guy named Gaa?

That's the winnah in the Name of the Week contest.

I thought it would be Brooke Pancake--a name I just learned about this week-- but Mr. Gaa takes the, erm, cake.

Oh, I almost forgot, Mr. Gaa is a major jerk.

08 February, 2015 13:16  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

Mendip: Well, there's a town in Austria called Fucking. I don't think the sign gets stolen, but tourists are always having their photos taken next to it. Actually I think those names give Pennsylvania some extra color. The nearest we've got to that in Oregon is a town called Boring.

Shaw: I suspect "Gaa" is about the limit of what a guy like that can spell with any confidence. I've seen teabagger signs with "Obama" spelled wrong, so they need to keep it really simple. Maybe that's another reason for their chip on the shoulder about Massachusetts.

08 February, 2015 14:12  
Anonymous NickM said...

As to place names anything you Colonials can do... We got there first...

http://www.anglotopia.net/ultimate-list-of-funny-british-place-names/

I'll add a couple (from County Durham) - the villages of No Place and Pity Me.

08 February, 2015 18:20  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

Nick: Hah! Thanks. Better not publicize Trump Street too much since The Donald thinks everything is about him (yes, I know what "trump" means over there). There must be a story behind Old Sodom Lane -- "Sodom" has had its connotations for a very ling time.

10 February, 2015 03:56  

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