Daily Blend: 05/08/13

Sylvia Browne

In case you needed more evidence that “psychics” ^[pictured] are bullshit-peddling vultures.

Vox Day says the whole idea of “warrior women” is totes ridiculous ’cause what woman would stand a chance against a dude, anyway? (Pay absolutely no attention to all these real-life warrior women who became legends for kicking [mostly dude] ass.)

Here’s a collection of 154 common global warming denialist claims and their easy refutations.
(via Pharyngula)

Oh, noes! The awesome Eugenie Scott, scourge of Creationists everywhere as the head of the National Center for Science Education, retires.

And finally, here’s a dog who tries so hard to make that branch into his stick:
(via @radleybalko)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Easter Bunny: Origins

Researchers have finally identified the birthplace of the Easter Bunny:

(What? A slow blogging day, you say? How dare you.)

(via @EmergencyPuppy)

Washington drug dogs retrained to ignore marijuana

Sign of the times: Drug-sniffing dogs are about to have a lot more free time in Washington State now that recreational pot has been legalized, as police departments are already starting to adapt their training:

The passage of I-502 made things difficult enough for the humans tasked with creating and enforcing the laws for legal marijuana. Now, try explaining the difference between "personal use" and "intent to sell" or the gray area between state and federal law to a dog.

That's why many law-enforcement agencies around the state, including the Seattle Police Department and Washington State Patrol, will no longer be training their drug-sniffing dogs to alert for marijuana.

“Moving forward, it makes most sense not to train dogs to alert to marijuana as that would likely lead to unwarranted investigatory detentions of people who are not breaking any law," said Alison Holcomb, author of I-502 and drug policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union.

The Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys sent out a memo advising the state's law-enforcement agencies that narcotics dogs are no longer required to be trained to alert for marijuana in December. And, marijuana was removed from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission's Canine Performance Standards test in January.

Such a move is made particularly relevant in the wake of the gob-smackingly bad Supreme Court ruling in February that essentially declared drug-detection dogs to be “probable cause on a leash” despite their craptacular track record (which often results from human vice).

Daily Blend: Monday, March 11, 2013

Duane Gish

Win for liberty: New York Supreme Court blocks New York City’s ban on large sugary drinks, which was to enter effect tomorrow.
(via @BuzzFeedAndrew)

Condescending asshole tries so desperately hard to make the case that the skeptical movement is actually a religion-in-disguise for condescending assholes. It was less annoyingly tedious to sit through Al Stefanelli’s “atheist cult” tirade.
(via The Daily Grail)

There’s a special irony to seeing Vox Day, who’s spent the last several months smearing John Scalzi as “McRapey” over his own bizarre misunderstanding, accuse Scalzi of exhibiting “juvenile behavior”.

Duane Gish ^[pictured], shameless Creationist liar famous for the popularizing the “Gish Gallop” style of “debating”, has died at 92.

And finally, just the thing to top off a Monday:
(via @EmergencyPuppy)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Headline of the Day: A Toowoomba wedding

Well, a December 2010 headline, anyway, but here you go:

(BuzzFeed)

(via @BuzzFeedAndrew)

Daily Blend: Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Pres. Barack Obama

The blogging vibe has forsaken me today, so here’s a quick link dump for y’all.

President Obama ^[pictured] enacts whistleblower protection law – then adds signing statement that he’ll ignore any protections that prevent him from targeting whistleblowers. You can’t make this shit up.

Creeping Creationism in Colorado.

Meanwhile, the ugly and pseudo-historical Creationist branch of racism contaminates Texas schools.

Oh, look, it’s a new report about the Catholic Church covering up clerical child abuse for Bill Donohue to splutter in denial about.
(via Friendly Atheist)

Today’s argument against banning assault rifles^*: There aren’t that many people being slaughtered by them, and besides, we already tried it once and it really didn’t work, so fuck it, amirite?
(via The Agitator)

Proof that there is an Intelligent Designer, and that it’s totally wasted.
(via @radleybalko)

And finally, random adorable photo time:
(via @EmergencyPuppy)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

* Because the linguistic pedant in me refuses to use the term “assault weapons”.

Humans destroy yet another creature’s natural habitat

Farewell?

Bow your heads, hold hands and weep, for the age of personal hygiene and grooming has all but brought about the end for one of our most cherished fellow companions on this green Earth:

Pubic lice, the crab-shaped insects that have dwelled in human groins since the beginning of history, are disappearing. Doctors say bikini waxing may be the reason.

[…]

“Pubic grooming has led to a severe depletion of crab louse populations,” said Ian F. Burgess, a medical entomologist with Insect Research & Development Ltd. in Cambridge, England. “Add to that other aspects of body hair depilation, and you can see an environmental disaster in the making for this species.”

Of all the worst things that could happen …

(via Joe. My. God.)

Daily Blend: Friday, January 11, 2013

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg

The War on (certain people who use certain kinds of) Drugs gets even worse, thanks to NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s ^[pictured] nanny-statist bullshit. Only politicians have ego to think they can dictate medical policy better than actual doctors.

The fact that he actually said something like, “[S]upposing it is really true so you didn’t get enough painkillers and you did have to suffer a little bit. The other side of the coin is people are dying and there’s nothing perfect,” really tells you all you need to know about the man.
(via @radleybalko)

At least some Republicans still haven’t learned to STFU about rape.
(via @BuzzFeedAndrew)

Salon’s Alex Seitz-Wald effectively destroys the Right’s myth that gun-toting commoners somehow prevent militarized takeovers.
(via RT: @mmfa)

And finally, here’s today’s edition of “I want a dog, dammit”:
(via @MelanieKV; RT: @ggreenwald)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: Friday, December 14, 2012

Laurie Penny

My sincerest wishes for any Connecticut readers and their families’ safety.

The Onion voices my thoughts on today’s horrors. (But remember, folks: NOW IS TOTALLY NOT THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT GUNS NO NEVER.)

Meanwhile, noted policy expert Vox Day proposes the “meaningful action” of banning public schools. And movie theaters, shopping centers and public rallies, of course.

I’m sure Laurie Penny ^[pictured] is just making it all up, too, ’cause we all know misogyny isn’t a real problem on the Internets. (Oldie but goodie.)
(via @BadAstronomer)

And finally, here’s a much-needed chaser for the day:

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: Thursday, December 13, 2012

PZ Myers

If crap like this doesn’t convince you that the U.S. criminal justice system is an absolutely hideous farce, nothing will.
(via @ggreenwald)

I can’t wait for the usual dolts to quote-mine PZ Myers’s ^[pictured] (discomforting but incontrovertible) assertion that “[i]f you’re white, you’re racist”.

Meanwhile, the man must be damn near a saint if harmless, sex-positive jokes are the blackest dirt the anti-Freethought Blogs ilk can dig up on him.

And finally, here’s your amazing wildlife video of the day:
(via @DiscoveryCanada)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Remedial cuteness for a dreary day

It’s another tired and uninspired day for me spent trudging through revisions for my novel, so no blogging for now. Instead, have some cute cuddly foxies:

Doesn’t that make everything better?

(via @EmergencyPuppy)

Daily Blend: Thursday, December 06, 2012

Anita Sarkeesian

My quest to reestablish a halfway-functional sleep schedule continues, so for now, enjoy these remedial links.

Awesome quote of the day: “The police department believes that, under state law, you may responsibly get baked, order some pizzas and enjoy a 'Lord of the Rings' marathon in the privacy of your own home, if you want to.”

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) walks back on his previous confusion about the Earth’s age, says “there is no scientific debate” that “it’s at least 4.5 billion years old”. He then blathers about reconciling science and theology, but then, that he’s said this much is already extraordinary.

Anita Sarkeesian ^[pictured] talks about overcoming the massive campaign of sexist hatred she received for wanting to talk about the portrayal of women in videogames. Good on her for making more asshatty heads explode.
(via Pharyngula)

And finally, here’s a trenchant representation of the archetypal sibling relationship as reenacted by puppies:
(via @EmergencyPuppy)

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If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: Sunday, November 25, 2012

Ac Tah

PZ Myers explains why evolutionary psychology fails to explain behavioral differences between men and women (it mangles genetics and doesn’t consider cultural upbringing).

Could it be that this Mayan elder ^[pictured] is deliberately trolling in order to undermine “Doomsday 2012” believers? The idea that he might be serious is almost too painful to bear.

And finally, for free hugs, go to kitty:
(via @BuzzFeedAndrew)

[full size (500×375)]

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: Saturday, November 23, 2012 – Late night edition

Saudi Arabia now monitors women with electronic tracking systems that alert their male guardians when they travel. Y’know, leashes and fences are totally cheaper, guys.

Police departments in Arlington and Fort Worth, TX start properly training officers to deal with dogs. So much more of this, please.

And finally, Nature ^[pictured] openly admits its own sexist editorial staff make-up, and despite stumbling over self-perpetuating stereotypes, vows to do better. Good on them.
(via Pharyngula)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Ex-Rep. Allen West (R-FL)

Sober Transgender Day of Remembrance, everyone.

Alex Knapp at Forbes thoroughly decorticates Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) for claiming the age of the Earth (which he doesn’t know) isn’t related to our economic and general welfare.
(via @BadAstronomer)

Now-former-Rep. Allen West (R-FL) ^[pictured] finally concedes.

PZ Myers shines some contextual light on the current kerfuffle over Sam Harris’s 2006-era comments about how “[i]f [he] could wave a magic wand to get rid of either rape or religion, [he] would not hesitate to get rid of religion”.

And finally, more awesomeness about the promise of stem cell research: Dogs with paralyzing spinal injuries learn to walk again.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: Monday, November 19, 2012

Lisa Biron

Another Bible-loving Christianist “traditional values” advocate ^[pictured] busted for child porn & molestation.
(via Right Wing Watch)

Former Michigan assistant A.G. Andrew Shirvell demanding unemployment benefits after being fired for illegally using government computers to stalk and harass a gay university student.
(via Dispatches from the Culture Wars)

100,000 Stars: Take a spectacular virtual tour of the Milky Way galaxy.

And finally, give a stingray an X-ray and you apparently get an alien:
(via Pharyngula)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Little octopus is a big braggart

Those annoying cephalopods – you give ’em a pinky and they suddenly think they’re your lord and master:

Pictured: Not Foamy

Sorry, but I’m just not impressed. (I am a fair bit mollified, though.)

(via Pharyngula)

Daily Blend: Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Bill Donohue

Boy Scouts loses UPS grants due to anti-gay policies. More of this from other sponsors, please.
(via Joe. My. God.)

Clusterfuck of assholery: Dumbass parents accuse (straight) high school teacher of turning their 18-year-old daughter into a lesbian; in return, principal destroys teacher’s career.
(via Wonkette)

Is it just me, or does Bill Donohue ^[pictured] sound even more childishly petulant than usual?

The American Family Association is all verklempt that a Pennsylvania high school hockey league is no longer “promoting patriotism and love of country” by eliminating the National Anthem over budgeting issues.

What If: a 100-foot-wide diamond meteor hit the Earth at the speed of light? (Prognosis: Even worse than I guessed.)

Be sure to watch Pixar’s beautiful, Oscar-nominated short film La Luna right here. I knew astronomers had it wrong, somehow …
(via @BadAstronomer)

And finally, here’s a lilliputian Leporidae enjoying some Daucus carota:
(via @BadAstronomer)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: Tuesday, November 06, 2012 – National Turn Off Your TV Day

“The lesser evil!”

Voted yet?

Cracked shines some light on eight popular election myths and explain why the situation isn’t quite as dour as some make it out to be.

And finally, here’s a nice little tension-breaker for this evening:
(via Bad Astronomy)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Scenes from the Prison State of America. Keep in mind that more than half were convicted of nonviolent offenses, in large part thanks to the Drug War.
(via @radleybalko)

Lawsuit: Santa Fe, NM cop Tasers 10-year-old boy who refused to clean his patrol car.
(via @radleybalko)

The only honest answer to whether global warming helped create Frankenstorm Sandy: “We don’t know, but it’s somewhat likely.”
(via @BadAstronomer)

And finally, have a marshmallow-loving fox:
(via @KyellGold)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.