Daily Blend: Friday, May 14, 2010

You know, I used to wonder how the hell the US could hold as much as a full 10^th of its population behind bars. That was until I learned, of course, that more than half of those aren’t actually criminals, if the notion that it takes malicious intent and one or more victim(s) to actually perpetrate a crime holds true.

• Ah, so that explains it: the Bad Astronomer explains why the Moon always seems larger on the horizon than in the sky.

• The city of Miami, Oklahoma (no, not Miami, Florida) actually has an “Emergency 911 prayer group”. And they activated it to combat the tornadoes that hit the region earlier this week, tornadoes that effectively missed the city – only to kill five people in neighboring regions. Maybe they ought to ask God to aim better?

• For those who still think the ground below our feet is as stable as rock …
  (via The Agitator)

• If any state should put a leash on its SWAT teams, let it be Georgia.
  (via The Agitator)

• Cop pulls over a motorcyclist and shoots him in the back, despite the latter’s full cooperation. Man now paralyzed for life. Let the phony excuses begin.
  (via JP at The Agitator)

• Whoever said Twitter had no practical purpose?
  (via The Daily Grail)

• “After 40 years, $1 trillion, US War on Drugs has failed to meet any of its goals”. Blatantly obvious truth alert.
  (via @todayspolitics)

• Father who branded his children like cattle is acquitted. Morally deplorable, legally intriguing.
  (via @BreakingNews)

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