Year: 2012

Religion, Science

The Evolutionary Gorilla In The Room

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

One common tactic in the creationist’s war against evolution is to falsify evolution by demonstrating a counterexample. If such a counterexample existed, it would indeed spell the demise of evolution. The Precambrian Rabbit would be such a counterexample. After failing to find even one counterexample, some creationists have given up trying to falsify evolution and now seek to disabuse evolution by claiming it is not falsifiable. Other creationists, unable to falsify evolution, get all metaphysical and point out that the principle of falsifiability is not falsifiable. Continue reading “The Evolutionary Gorilla In The Room” →

Uncategorized

The Case of the Cruciferous Vegetable, the Cornhusker Kickback, Justice Scalia, Right-Wing Talking Points, and the Affordable Care Act

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

Roy Blount, Jr.—author, humorist, poet, reporter, performer, and frequent guest on Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!—once wrote the following:

The local groceries are all out of broccoli,

Loccoli.

It’s a terse rhyming couplet that probably expresses the way many people feel about the green cruciferous vegetable. I don’t know how Antonin Scalia feels about eating broccoli—but I do know that the nutritious vegetable has been getting a lot of press lately due to remarks that the Justice made about it and the health care mandate during the recent Supreme Court hearings on the Affordable Care Act:

“Could you define the market — everybody has to buy food sooner or later, so you define the market as food,” Scalia said, discussing a hypothetical. “Therefore, everybody is in the market; therefore, you can make people buy broccoli.”

He added, “Does that expand your ability to, to issue mandates to the people?”

Some journalists and bloggers believe that Justice Scalia didn’t come up with that bad broccoli analogy on his own. They think he may be echoing GOP and conservative media talking points on the ACA.

Continue reading “The Case of the Cruciferous Vegetable, the Cornhusker Kickback, Justice Scalia, Right-Wing Talking Points, and the Affordable Care Act” →

Media

Exit Olbermann

By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Current TV and its biggest star have parted ways – and none too amicably. Following months of tension, the cable brainchild of former Vice-President Al Gore and legal services magnate/Democratic kingpin, Joel Hyatt, delivered a letter of termination to bombastic Keith Olbermann ending their 5 year, $50 Million deal after barely a year. In an open letter to viewers, Gore and Hyatt blamed a difference in values for the break-up:

We created Current to give voice to those Americans who refuse to rely on corporate-controlled media and are seeking an authentic progressive outlet. We are more committed to those goals today than ever before. Current was also founded on the values of respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers. Unfortunately these values are no longer reflected in our relationship with Keith Olbermann and we have ended it.

Olbermann immediately shot back on Twitter in the blame game and threatened to sue:

Continue reading “Exit Olbermann” →

Bizarre, International

Pinch Me: First Truck Spills Millions of Coins All Over Highway, Second Truck Covers The Money In Candy . . . Men Wait Anxiously For Moosehead Beer Truck

Talk about an attractive nuisance. This week a currency truck spilled Canadian “loonies and toonies” all over a highway. The accident then caused a candy truck to crash and spill candy on top of the money. I can just picture two Canadian guys saying “Give it a second, eh, there has got to be a Moosehead Beer truck coming along.”
Continue reading “Pinch Me: First Truck Spills Millions of Coins All Over Highway, Second Truck Covers The Money In Candy . . . Men Wait Anxiously For Moosehead Beer Truck” →

Animals, Bizarre, Criminal law

Minnesota Woman Arrested For Using Puppies As Weapons

In Minnesota, Gabrielle Tywon Allen, 20, is being held on a rather odd crime — using puppies as a weapon. The Anoka County woman grabbed three 1-week-old pit bull puppies to throw at her boyfriend David Peter Remme, 25. Remme was arrested on suspicion of assault after breaking her nose and she was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty.

Continue reading “Minnesota Woman Arrested For Using Puppies As Weapons” →

International, Military, Society

Sgt. Dennis Weichel, American Hero

Sgt. Dennis Weichel, 29, gave the world a measure of the bravery and humanity of our soldiers serving abroad this week. Weichel, a father of three from Rhode Island, gave his life to save an Afghan girl from being run over by a 16-ton armored fighting vehicle this week. While Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called all Americans “Demons” , Weichel did not hesitate to give his life for a little girl in danger.

Continue reading “Sgt. Dennis Weichel, American Hero” →

Criminal law, Society

Thin Blue Lie? Florida Police Under Fire After Tape Surfaces Contradicting Arrest Reports and Later Sworn Testimony

In Florida, two Coral Springs police officers — Nicole Stasnek and Derek Fernandes — have been accused of false statements against a woman after an audio recording surfaced contradicting their claims about a roadside arrest of Susan Mait, 60.

Continue reading “Thin Blue Lie? Florida Police Under Fire After Tape Surfaces Contradicting Arrest Reports and Later Sworn Testimony” →

Bizarre, Criminal law

Video: Escaped Prisoner Convinces Louisiana Officer That He Is Merely Out For A Jog

I just saw this video from 2006 where escaped inmate Richard McNair convinced a Louisiana police officer that he is just out for a jog. I love the officer’s statement to McNair that when he first spotted him he thought “how lucky can I be?” Apparently not that lucky.

Continue reading “Video: Escaped Prisoner Convinces Louisiana Officer That He Is Merely Out For A Jog” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Military, Politics

U.S. Troops Given “Guarding Angels” To Protect Them In Afghanistan . . . From Our Allies

While our troops are being gunned down by Afghan allies and the President of Afghanistan is calling Americans “demons,” the Administration remains committed to spending billions in that country and keeping U.S. troops in harm’s way. The solution? Have U.S. troops serve as “Guardian Angels” to protect other U.S. troops so our allies do not kill them while they sleep.

Continue reading “U.S. Troops Given “Guarding Angels” To Protect Them In Afghanistan . . . From Our Allies” →

Animals, Bizarre

Lion Tries To Eat Man Found In Bean Soup, Bear Tries To Eat Lion, Man Now In Paradise

Robert Biggs, 69, was in the Bean Soup Flats near Whisky Flats and wanted to get back to Paradise. The California man was watching a family of bears and had decided to go home when he was attacked by a mountain lion. However, before the lion could kill him, the mother bear ripped the lion off of him and fought the lion until it ran off. The mother bear then went back to her cubs and left Biggs alone.

Continue reading “Lion Tries To Eat Man Found In Bean Soup, Bear Tries To Eat Lion, Man Now In Paradise” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Society, Supreme Court

Divided on Division? Supreme Court Justices Seem Split on Health Care’s Severability Claim

Some of the Supreme Court appear skeptical of the claim that, if they strike down the individual mandate provision, they must strike down the entirety of the Act. Early accounts of the justices from the courtroom appeared to be favoring severability but new reports have cast doubt — yet another example how artificial the denial of cameras and live coverage has become. As the argument unfolded, conservative justices appear to suggest that it really is an all-or-nothing proposition.

Continue reading “Divided on Division? Supreme Court Justices Seem Split on Health Care’s Severability Claim” →