Some Monday morning linkage, including: lying about abortion is linked to a higher risk of prostate cancer; Texan terrorist targeted Muslims in Israel; the simplest conclusion about Benny Hinn; an anti-gay billboard Photoshops its supposed evidence; and the heresy of "American exceptionalism." Read more
What the Cleveland police are saying, then, is that they are opposed to "Justice." That's a clear sign they're in the wrong line of work. Specifically, the Cleveland police are going out of their way to make us all aware that they are opposed to "Justice for Tamir Rice and John Crawford." I would hesitate to accuse them of such an ugly, defiantly unjust position, but this isn't my opinion of them or anyone else's evaluation or characterization of then: This is them, choosing voluntarily to inform us all, unambiguously, that they stand opposed to and are offended by "Justice." Read more
"Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother / And in his name all oppression shall cease." Read more
Randi Harper on online abuse; Chris Rock on the whiteness of Hollywood; Damaris Zehner on the "perspicuity of scripture;" Mark Fallon confirms that "Dick Cheney was lying about torture;" and David Brin on "Abortion and the 'Jesus Effect.'" Read more
Here’s a terrific bit of American history from Glenn Branch. In the February 1916 issue of National Geographic, the author of Life Histories of African Game Animals wrote about the evolution of “the primates” and of “the monkeys and anthropoid apes and finally the half-human predecessors of man himself.” This raised the ire of creationist preacher Theodore Graebner of the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, who fired off a letter to the writer of that National Geographic article asking him to clarify this... Read more
"He led them down the streets of town, right to the traffic cop / And only paused a moment, when he heard him holler, 'Stop!'" Read more
Some links for your Friday evening, including: Nothing says Christmas like bullying the Jews; the fine line between Consumer Advocate and Entitled Prick; getting vetted by Kirk Cameron's screeners; a religious test to ensure public office is only for white people; "There is no liquor in Hell." Read more
The community organization ACORN closed its doors in 2010. But the white right can't quit ACORN, and every year since then, House Republicans have voted to ensure that the no-longer-existent group does not receive federal funding. But why stop there? Here's a list of other now defunct or no-longer-existent things Republicans in the House might just as productively vote to deny federal funding. Read more
The apocalypse described in Stephen King's 'The Stand' is genuinely frightening. 'Left Behind' is not. This is partly because Stephen King is a better writer, but the main difference is not his skill, but his objective. When you read 'The Stand,' he wants you to imagine this story is happening to you. When you read about the apocalypse in 'Left Behind,' the authors want you to imagine this story is happening to someone else -- someone who, unlike you, deserves it. Read more
Some Thursday linkery, including: The only difference between Young Life and Abercrombie & Fitch; Josef's Bible; why you should always cut the big dance number; an Advent-y poem; and why I'm still bitter that SEPTA is only just now offering 24-hour weekend train service. Read more
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