Daily Blend: Thursday, April 08, 2010

OMG, DID YOU SEE WHAT JACK BAUER JUST DID?!! NO? … Boo.

• And this is why you’ll be switching to Al Jazeera if you want any sort of responsible journalism.
  (via The Daily Grail)

• NOOO!!! (Also read the image’s alt text, of course.)

• Only in America: 15-year-old sues his mother (!) for “slandering” him (!!) … on Facebook (!!?).

• The case for Canadian exceptionalism? (Okay, just joking. But still, go us!)
  (via Dispatches From the Culture Wars)

• Wingnut Republican Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell declares April as “Confederate History Month”. Bonus: ignores that pesky slavery issue because it wasn’t “significant” enough.
  (via @todayspolitics)

• And to think I once trusted them: CNN seriously asks “is homosexuality a problem in need of a cure?” and, best of all, they bring on none other than Richard Cohen, that disgraced author who claims to have “successfully” undergone gay-to-straight therapy and even parades as a psychotherapist despite having absolutely no accreditation. Folks, the resumé of a crank.
  (via @todayspolitics)

• The Thinking Atheist presents: Understanding Christianese (parts II, III, IV)
  (via Friendly Atheist)

• More on the Great Firewall of China.
  (via @nytimes)

• Shocking and revolting: Obama administration quietly authorizes the assassination of American-born Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaki based on vague charges of terrorism – no trial, no arrest, no nothing but a flurry of shots as soon as he’s located. One thing I’d like to note, though, is how so many seem particularly outraged at the fact that al-Awlaki is an American citizen. To put it simply: who freaking cares? What does it matter if he’s American, or Canadian, or Iraqi, or even Martian? The fact that an administration and a President supposedly focusing on improved human rights can – and just did – green-light the lawless murder of suspects is chilling in and of itself, regardless of the soon-to-be victim’s nationality. That al-Awlaki is an American citizen is a legal conundrum (at best), not a moral one.

• Another reason to disregard anything and all fashion these days.

• The Collateral Murder video now on Wikipedia.
  (via @wikileaks)

• Good news: Naked Coffee Guy, the man who was “caught” being naked in his own home at 6 AM, has finally been cleared of all charges. Common sense prevails at last.
  (via The Agitator)

As always, if you have any story suggestions, feel free to send them in.