So Rock Beyond Belief has apparently been canceled. All of that time and effort put into creating a secular concert and expecting the military to honor its agreement to support the show to the same extent that it supported a Billy Graham evangelical event before, and it’s not going to […]
Read MoreSCOTUS rules in favor of Westboro on funeral protests
Cross-posted from State of Formation. The Supreme Court ruling on Snyder v. Phelps was issued this morning– 8-1 in favor of Phelps, saying that the First Amendment protected the WBC’s right to protest the military funeral. I couldn’t have imagined it going any other way, but there was still a niggling […]
Read MoreMemo to Sarah Palin…
Umm, both your and Westboro’s wacko pronouncements in the public square (such as, for example, this very tweet) invoke God’s name on a regular basis. They got sued for it; you didn’t. It appears their liberty to be religious in public is more in danger than yours is. First Amendment […]
Read MoreGratuitous bird shot
My daytime companions, budgies Freddie (left) and Charlie (right). Freddie is about a year and a half old, and Charlie is a little over three months. Freddie is talkative, afraid of change, and rather manic. Charlie is brave to the point of foolhardiness, pushy, and fastidious.
Read MoreSCOTUS rules in favor of Westboro on funeral protests
The Supreme Court ruling on Snyder v. Phelps was issued this morning– 8-1 in favor of Phelps, saying that the First Amendment protected the WBC’s right to protest the military funeral. I couldn’t have imagined it going any other way, but there was still a niggling worry that it might. […]
Read MoreInteresting links of the day
Jurors acquit suspect, then give him their jury pay. They say it’s still not enough to make up for what he went through. Womens’ secret thoughts about porn, juxtaposed against photos of retro man candy (not safe for work, needless to say) Top ten airport restaurants in the United States. Could’ve been […]
Read MoreTuesday health trilogy
On Boing Boing, travel writer Bob Harris talks about his feet being given a “pedicure” by doctor fish during a visit to Singapore. The tiny fish eat dead skin (and only dead skin, thankfully) off the feet, making them a useful treatment for people with psoriasis or eczema. When salons in […]
Read MoreNo children were harmed in the writing of this post
I have a special place in my heart for a lot of people accused of making or possessing kiddie porn. What? Did she really say that? A photo of actual children here might bias you against me. Yep, I did. But hear me out. I say this because child molestation is […]
Read MoreSue Blackmore decides that religions are not, in fact, viruses of the mind
Sue Blackmore is one of the go-to voices in the UK on matters of religious thinking and consciousness. She is, believe it or not, an atheist with a PhD in parapsychology. Originally a firm believer in the paranormal, she reached the conclusion in the course of her study that it […]
Read MoreMusical interlude: Katie Melua
Ketevan “Katie” Melua (born 16 September 1984) is a Georgian-British singer, songwriter and musician. She moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then to England at fourteen. Melua is signed to the small Dramatico record label, under the management of composer Mike Batt, and made her musical […]
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