Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
PENTAGON BRIEFING ON REMOVING "The God Gene"
I assure you this is a fake. It's still fun, but it's fake.
Licensing Parents. I think it's a modest proposal.
Blogger Andrew Cohen makes a cogent and quite reasonable proposal for "licensing" want-to-be parents as a strategy to reduce the welfare state and the damage done to children by "bad" parents. It's very libertarian in its premise and Orwellian in its inevitable conclusion.
Excerpt
"The state should require parents to be licensed. That is, there is no moral right to raise a child, and we would do well to think of it as a privilege that the state grants and can refrain from granting to certain individuals. If you don’t like that way of putting it, I am comfortable with a weaker claim: whatever moral right to raise a child there might be is defeated when the parent-to-be is significantly likely to cause the child substantial and avoidable harm, or, of course, if the parent does cause the child such harm. Those that should be refused a license to parent a child are those who are likely, in parenting, to harm the child. Those that should have a parenting license revoked are those who do harm the child. (In our society, the latter is called “termination of parental rights” because there is an assumption of such rights. Its worth pointing out that I have not seen a good defense of the claim that natural biological parents should be assumed to have the right to raise the child they create.)"
Excerpt
"The state should require parents to be licensed. That is, there is no moral right to raise a child, and we would do well to think of it as a privilege that the state grants and can refrain from granting to certain individuals. If you don’t like that way of putting it, I am comfortable with a weaker claim: whatever moral right to raise a child there might be is defeated when the parent-to-be is significantly likely to cause the child substantial and avoidable harm, or, of course, if the parent does cause the child such harm. Those that should be refused a license to parent a child are those who are likely, in parenting, to harm the child. Those that should have a parenting license revoked are those who do harm the child. (In our society, the latter is called “termination of parental rights” because there is an assumption of such rights. Its worth pointing out that I have not seen a good defense of the claim that natural biological parents should be assumed to have the right to raise the child they create.)"
Evolution of Angels: From Disembodied Minds to Winged Guardians
Evolution of Angels: From Disembodied Minds to Winged Guardians
'Tis the season for winged humanoids to alight everywhere from store windows to Christmas tree tops to lingerie runways. But it wasn't always so.
Angels, at least the Christian variety, haven't always been flying people in diaphanous gowns. And their various forms—from disembodied minds to feathered guardians—reflect twists and turns of thousands of years of religious thought, according to an upcoming book.
"There is lots of interesting theology about angels, and in some ways we've kind of lost the knack for that," said John Cavadini, chair of theology at the University of Notre Dame.
Read More Here:
'Tis the season for winged humanoids to alight everywhere from store windows to Christmas tree tops to lingerie runways. But it wasn't always so.
Angels, at least the Christian variety, haven't always been flying people in diaphanous gowns. And their various forms—from disembodied minds to feathered guardians—reflect twists and turns of thousands of years of religious thought, according to an upcoming book.
"There is lots of interesting theology about angels, and in some ways we've kind of lost the knack for that," said John Cavadini, chair of theology at the University of Notre Dame.
Read More Here:
Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Pop Star's Single, 'Booty Wave', Most Likely Civilization's Downfall
If this wasn't so true, I'd be laughing my booty off.
Painless Dental Fillings: Plasma Toothbrush
"Scientists at the University of Missouri have invented a way to apply fillings that is completely painless.
It uses a new plasma brush that disinfects and cleans out cavities,
killing bacterias and forming a better bond for the fillings. And it does it in less than 30 seconds! According to the scientists,
"the chemical reactions involved with the plasma brush actually change
the surface of the tooth, which allows for a strong and robust bonding
with the filling material."
Click here to read the whole story (with video).
“Painless ” Plasma Brush Is Becoming Realistic In Dentistry, MU Engineers Say from MU News Bureau on Vimeo.
Click here to read the whole story (with video).
“Painless ” Plasma Brush Is Becoming Realistic In Dentistry, MU Engineers Say from MU News Bureau on Vimeo.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Misfits Season Finale: your opinion?
Season Three has ended, dramatic and deadly, unexpected and bittersweet. What's your opinion?
Boy disciplined after waving gun-shaped pizza piece.
Boy disciplined after waving around pizza slice that resembled gun: As punishment for the incident Nicholas Taylor was given silent lunch for six days. He also spent time with the school resource officer learning about gun safety.
Terry Gilliam: 10 Lessons For Directors
Filmmaker Magazine has a fascinating interview with Terry Gilliam in which he relates 10 essential insights for directors. I was impressed by these insights and believe they apply to a wide range of creative processes. What do you think?
1. Growing up is for losers.
As a child, I always drew funny creatures, funny characters. But I think the trick is not to grow up, not to learn to be an adult. And if you can maintain the kind of imagination you all had when you were babies, you would all be wonderful filmmakers. But the world tries to make you grow up, to stop imagining, stop fantasizing, stop playing in your mind. And I’ve worked hard to not let the world educate me.
2. Film school is for fools.
Live and learn how to make films. I didn’t go to film school. I just watched movies in the cinemas. And probably my greater education was actually making films, so that’s all I would ever say: watch movies, get a camera, make a movie. And if you do it enough times, eventually you start learning how films are made.
read more after the break:
As a child, I always drew funny creatures, funny characters. But I think the trick is not to grow up, not to learn to be an adult. And if you can maintain the kind of imagination you all had when you were babies, you would all be wonderful filmmakers. But the world tries to make you grow up, to stop imagining, stop fantasizing, stop playing in your mind. And I’ve worked hard to not let the world educate me.
2. Film school is for fools.
Live and learn how to make films. I didn’t go to film school. I just watched movies in the cinemas. And probably my greater education was actually making films, so that’s all I would ever say: watch movies, get a camera, make a movie. And if you do it enough times, eventually you start learning how films are made.
read more after the break:
Monday, December 19, 2011
Fourth-degree criminal mischief for sleeping on own couch
Yes, that's right. Man charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief for sleeping on own couch.
"Tonawanda SWAT Team members descended on a Findlay Avenue home for a report of an armed gunman possibly holding his mother and girlfriend hostage.
But as police called for backup, and hostage negotiators repeatedly called for him to come outside, the reported gunman was sleeping soundly, he later told police.
"It was just a guy who had too much to drink," said Capt. Jonathan W. Scott. "We thought there was a hostage situation in there, and it turns out there wasn't."
But the tension quickly dissolved when the man walked out the front door, hands behind his head, and surrendered without incident to police at about 10:45 a.m.
He later said that -- as police tried to contact him by cellphone -- he was taking a nap.
"It turned out not to be a hostage situation," Scott said.
The man, who served in the Marine Corps, had rifles and swords in his room, though he did not use them in the incident. Police said the weapons did not appear to be connected to his military service.
Tonawanda police declined to name the man, and his age was unavailable, they said. He was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and taken to Erie County Medical Center for a mental examination.
No one was injured in the incident.
"He's a very nice young man," another neighbor said. "He's serving in Iraq. They're very nice people."
"Tonawanda SWAT Team members descended on a Findlay Avenue home for a report of an armed gunman possibly holding his mother and girlfriend hostage.
But as police called for backup, and hostage negotiators repeatedly called for him to come outside, the reported gunman was sleeping soundly, he later told police.
"It was just a guy who had too much to drink," said Capt. Jonathan W. Scott. "We thought there was a hostage situation in there, and it turns out there wasn't."
But the tension quickly dissolved when the man walked out the front door, hands behind his head, and surrendered without incident to police at about 10:45 a.m.
He later said that -- as police tried to contact him by cellphone -- he was taking a nap.
"It turned out not to be a hostage situation," Scott said.
The man, who served in the Marine Corps, had rifles and swords in his room, though he did not use them in the incident. Police said the weapons did not appear to be connected to his military service.
Tonawanda police declined to name the man, and his age was unavailable, they said. He was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and taken to Erie County Medical Center for a mental examination.
No one was injured in the incident.
"He's a very nice young man," another neighbor said. "He's serving in Iraq. They're very nice people."
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
cold remedy causes 2 deaths from brain-eating amoeba
I'll stick to Theraflu, pills, and whiskey.
U.S state issues health warning after neti pot is linked to two deaths. A sinus-flushing device used to relieve colds and allergies has been linked to a deadly brain-eating amoeba. It is thought the amoeba entered their brains when they used the devices.
U.S state issues health warning after neti pot is linked to two deaths. A sinus-flushing device used to relieve colds and allergies has been linked to a deadly brain-eating amoeba. It is thought the amoeba entered their brains when they used the devices.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Light Sabre VS Taser: suprisingly effective.
"Police arrested a man who allegedly assaulted three people with a blue light saber at a Hayden Island Toys R Us Wednesday night.
Officers tried to arrest the man, but he kept swinging the light saber at them, Simpson said. One tried to use his Taser on the suspect but the device didn't work.
Another officer used a second Taser and made contact, but the man knocked one of the wires away with the light saber."
Officers tried to arrest the man, but he kept swinging the light saber at them, Simpson said. One tried to use his Taser on the suspect but the device didn't work.
Another officer used a second Taser and made contact, but the man knocked one of the wires away with the light saber."
This is what's wrong with the US legal system
Man Awarded $10M for Segway Accident
Ezzo's lawyer, Robert Adelman, says his client was riding the Segway blindfolded and without a helmet through an obstacle course set up by company workers when he fell off and injured his head.
Read the full story here
Ezzo's lawyer, Robert Adelman, says his client was riding the Segway blindfolded and without a helmet through an obstacle course set up by company workers when he fell off and injured his head.
Read the full story here
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Could Netflix Bring Firefly Back From The Dead?
Some interesting speculation regarding Firefly bieng brought back from the dead by Netflix. I for one would love to see this happen. Click the photo to read the article.
Read the speculative fiction article here.
Read the speculative fiction article here.
Ashton Kutcher canoodles w/ Ancient Disc Of Pure Evil
Now that Demi is out of the picture, Ashton is up to his old bachelor ways, out on the town with his arms wrapped around a glowing disc hewn in the fires of hell.
Ashton Kutcher Caught Canoodling With Ancient Disc Made Of Pure Evil
Ashton Kutcher Caught Canoodling With Ancient Disc Made Of Pure Evil
This defines the spirit of Christmas
If I weren't such a cynical, stoic sod..... well.... it's getting awfully dusty in here.
Good lord: talk about the food chain!
You will be amazed how this video ends. Talk about an amazing illustration of the theme, "There's always something bigger up the food chain..."
"Perfect Sense" Trailer Ewan McGregor, Eva Green (HD)
it's the end of the world..... and love is blind.
Denzel Washington Is "The Equalizer"
Denzel Washington is set to star in the film version of the classic 1980's TV series "The Equalizer".
Edward Woodward starred in the original CBS television series about Robert McCall, a former operative of a covert intelligence organisation who seeks redemption for his dark past via offering his services to those being persecuted and in need of help.
read the full story here
Edward Woodward starred in the original CBS television series about Robert McCall, a former operative of a covert intelligence organisation who seeks redemption for his dark past via offering his services to those being persecuted and in need of help.
read the full story here
has transformed into this
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Poltergeist video challenge: how??
In 2011, Captain Disillusion abruptly stopped production of a new episode and went on a long hiatus. The footage of that unfinished episode has now been recovered and is presented here.
Challenge: how was this poltergeist effect achieved without digital effects?
Challenge: how was this poltergeist effect achieved without digital effects?
Over-drawn $4.85? You now owe $229.10
With the help of his mother, Daniel Ganziano set up a savings account at a nearby TCF Bank. After he put money into the savings account from his job, Daniel Ganziano's balance eventually fell to $4.85 and with such a small amount, he ignored it.
The bank of course continued charging fees, the account became over-drawn as a result of those fees, and then came the "overdrawn" penalty fees, and before you can say "Shylock's Pound of Flesh", within 2 weeks Daniel owed $229.10 in overdraft penalties. The bank refused to close the account until the fees were paid. And to make it even more insidious, he can't get another bank account anywhere else until he pays off the first bank's extortion.
penalty Read the whole story here
The bank of course continued charging fees, the account became over-drawn as a result of those fees, and then came the "overdrawn" penalty fees, and before you can say "Shylock's Pound of Flesh", within 2 weeks Daniel owed $229.10 in overdraft penalties. The bank refused to close the account until the fees were paid. And to make it even more insidious, he can't get another bank account anywhere else until he pays off the first bank's extortion.
penalty Read the whole story here
Higgs boson: has the 'God Particle' been glimpsed?
The announcement was made at the Cern laboratory in Geneva. Scientists believe they may have pinned down the "God particle" at last. They did stress that the findings should are inconclusive and insisted they did not represent an official discovery, but admitted the results were "intriguing".
Read the full article here.
$154 million MQ-9 Predator B drone used to catch cow thieves
A North Dakota family has been caught stealing 6 cows via the use of a $154 million MQ-9 Predator B drone. It was "on loan" to local cops from the US military. The thieves: a North Dakota family named Brossart. Apparently they were so dangerous that the local sheriff needed a Predator drone to take them down. The Brossart's alleged crime? They wouldn't give back 3 cows and their calves that wandered onto their 3,000-acre farm this summer.
The Predator is the type used by the CIA to track down and assassinate terrorists and militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Now local police are using them to take down Americans in their own backyards.
Does this violate the Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C. § 1385)? That's the United States federal law that was passed on June 18, 1878, after the end of Reconstruction. Its intent (in concert with the Insurrection Act of 1807) was to limit the powers of local governments and law enforcement agencies from using federal military personnel to enforce the laws of the land.
Here's the link to the story on the Predator Drone take-down of the cow thieves.
And here's a link to wikipedia re the Posse Comitatus Act.
Monkeys to test radiation at Fukushima
Well, I hear they work for peanuts. Wild monkeys have been enlisted by Japanese researchers to obtain detailed readings of radiation levels in forests near the troubled Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Plant. No word yet how the government plans to deal with the resulting army of mutated giant ape monsters.
read full story here.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Russian UFO or government drone?
Video footage shows an unidentified flying object hovering above protesters in Bolotnaya Square in Moscow. The ufo community is all abuzz. What do you think?
see the video and full story here
Oh, wait, it IS a russian police drone!!!! Not exactly the one pictured below, but obviously a similar type. See the real story here, ironically at the conspiracy website www.infowars.com
And you can buy one here!!
see the video and full story here
Oh, wait, it IS a russian police drone!!!! Not exactly the one pictured below, but obviously a similar type. See the real story here, ironically at the conspiracy website www.infowars.com
And you can buy one here!!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Furiousier and furiousier
"The "Fast & Furious" scandal is getting
messier and messier. New e-mails finally released late this past Friday
reveal that the Department of Justice personal viewed the then-secret
operation as a way to push for more gun control laws. Despite administration promises to the contrary, whistleblowers have endured "isolation, retaliation and transfer."
Meanwhile the operation's managers have done pretty well, some have even received promotions.
Thursday Attorney General Eric Holder
admitted that the operation was "wholly unacceptable," but he still
offers absolutely no explanation to explain why the program was
instituted."
Character is what you are in the dark.
A fascinating article that only reinforces that your Integrity is defined by what you do in private.
"Cooperative behaviour is generally associated with personal disadvantage. Scientists have therefore long been unable to explain why, despite this, altruism exists in nature. However, altruistic behaviour can be successful if organisms improve their reputation through unselfish behaviour and can benefit from it at a later stage: those who give receive; but those who refuse to lend support cannot expect help in an emergency. Solidarity is also the outcome of social evolution in humans. However, altruism can only enhance an individual’s reputation and prevail if the corresponding behaviour is known to others."
"Read the article here
"Cooperative behaviour is generally associated with personal disadvantage. Scientists have therefore long been unable to explain why, despite this, altruism exists in nature. However, altruistic behaviour can be successful if organisms improve their reputation through unselfish behaviour and can benefit from it at a later stage: those who give receive; but those who refuse to lend support cannot expect help in an emergency. Solidarity is also the outcome of social evolution in humans. However, altruism can only enhance an individual’s reputation and prevail if the corresponding behaviour is known to others."
"Read the article here
Thursday, December 8, 2011
13 - Official Trailer.
I recommend this film. If you're up for a tense psychological thriller, this will satisfy.
Documents: ATF used "Fast and Furious" to make the case for gun regulations
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, is investigating Fast and Furious, as
well as the alleged use of the case to advance gun regulations. "There's
plenty of evidence showing that this administration planned to use the
tragedies of Fast and Furious as rationale to further their goals of a
long gun reporting requirement."
What? The DOJ giving guns to mexican cartels and thus creating a fiction of rampant unreported US guns flowing across the border? All to promote tighter gun regulations in the US? Why aren't people outraged about this?
read the full story here
What? The DOJ giving guns to mexican cartels and thus creating a fiction of rampant unreported US guns flowing across the border? All to promote tighter gun regulations in the US? Why aren't people outraged about this?
read the full story here
Lying 'has to do with your state of mind'...
I swear, if the press really sinks its teeth into the DOJ's "Fast and Furious" operation and its covert purpose to instigate tighter gun control laws in the US, this could end up being this Administration's Watergate.
This morning on Capitol Hill, Attorney General Eric Holder was asked whether he lied to Congress about the Fast & Furious gun-running scandal. His reply: "Laying has to do with your state of mind."
See the full story here by clicking here.
This morning on Capitol Hill, Attorney General Eric Holder was asked whether he lied to Congress about the Fast & Furious gun-running scandal. His reply: "Laying has to do with your state of mind."
See the full story here by clicking here.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The perfect home
The above-ground home is 2,000 square feet. But if you use the keypad entry to the basement, you’ll find 2,300 more square feet that was a former launch control center and has been converted with dining and entertainment space and two bedroom suites – complete with marble bathrooms. It has 10-foot tall ceilings, simulated daylight and an open floor plan.
see all REAL photos here!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
Skittles Touch: Cat
Be sure to put your finger on the skittle. Seriously. Lick the rainbow: taste the rainbow. But your finger on the skittle in the video and hold it there.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Bondage Couple's Wooded Fantasy Busted By Cops
Secret meeting in woods, check. Bondage toys, check. Cover stories so spouse don't become suspicious, check. Privacy to insure no interruptions..... um, er....
....As the deputy “drew my Taser and turned it on,” the couple realized they had company."
Apparently what happens in k-y jellystone park doesn't stay in jellystone park. Perhaps they should have had new safe words like, "Hey boo-boo!" Or, "Picnic Basket". I wonder if the gentleman greeted the officers with a cordial, "Hello, Mr. Ranger, sir!" or "Hey there, Boo Boo!"
Read the full story here at the Smoking Gun
....As the deputy “drew my Taser and turned it on,” the couple realized they had company."
Apparently what happens in k-y jellystone park doesn't stay in jellystone park. Perhaps they should have had new safe words like, "Hey boo-boo!" Or, "Picnic Basket". I wonder if the gentleman greeted the officers with a cordial, "Hello, Mr. Ranger, sir!" or "Hey there, Boo Boo!"
Read the full story here at the Smoking Gun
Random legal musing...
Has anyone ever considered suing their local water company for shutting off services based on Riparian water rights?
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