RationalWiki:What is going on in the world?/November 2008

November 2008
Possible proof of the existence of God as Ann Coulter's jaw is literally wired shut. Remember the name Odontochelys semitestacea. You may need it when you get tired of citing Archaeopteryx. See BBC News and Science blogging. Countdown to accusations of forgery and whatnot by the YEC crowd starts now. Hanlon's razor in action? If you lived in a state or congressional district with a tight race, a hard-right organization called Freedom's Watch may have inundated your local airwaves with attack ads. It seems that all those ads have had what might be called a "cleansing" effect. (Har har, chortle chortle.) You can bet that psycho fundies will cite this encouraging report as further evidence that math, science and modern medicine are really the devil's handmaidens.  Florida judge, There is no rational basis to prohibit gay parents from adopting. We salute you, Cindy Lederman! The scream team of Hannity and Colmes is to break up after 12 long years on the air. The largely defensive weapon of taser. "Mommy? Would it really be such a bad thing if an ignorant rube became vice president?" "Well, dear, just imagine scenes like this spread over a four-year term, then ask me that again." (Warning! Video depicts animal slaughter.) Scientist developing interplanetary level internet: Interplanetary Internet. Obama's interest about Abraham Lincoln is explained because he was a close associate in a former life. Video of UFOs in Austin, TX. UFOs must be real, 'cause seeing is believing.... The line between reality and online fantasy becomes ever more blurred... Scientists create a more efficient method of synthesizing antimatter. It's not tons of antimatter, but it's still a step in the right direction. 100 billion positrons synthesized. Mix a 16-month old toddler and a deer hunter with a loaded gun. We already know that this will end tragically. Mere words fail. <vote poll=world394 closed="yes">Pirates take a super-tanker. Although piracy appears to be on the up in recent months it's yet to be seen if there's an effect on global temperatures. <vote poll=world393 closed="yes">Dan Rather's lawsuit against CBS brings the GOP and conservative bias into focus. <vote poll=world392 closed="yes">Let's get it on, in the name of the Lord. <vote poll=world391 closed="yes">An early shot in the War on Christmas nonsense that gets the fundies riled up every year: Colorado based Focus on the Family has compiled a list of Quote: "Christmas-friendly" retailers, "Christmas-negligent" retailers and "Christmas-offensive" retailers." <vote poll=world390 closed="yes">A S.C. priest reminds everyone the best reason of all to be nonreligious: When you don't follow church doctrine, Crazy right wingers can't hold your soul hostage. <Vote poll=world389 closed="yes">Scientists get the first images of an extrasolar planet, albeit a fuzzy one, Can't wait for the 42 meter European Extremely Large Telescope. <Vote poll=world388 closed="yes">The family of Martin Luther King Jr continues to honor his spirit and memory in the public sphere by fighting over his papers in court and demanding a cut from vendor sales of Obama/King merchandise. It appears they have a dream as well: lots and lots of money. <vote poll=world387 closed="yes">Convicted Ted Stevens may lose his senate seat after all! <vote poll=world386 closed="yes">As of the morning of November 12th, Connecticut has become the third state to allow same sex couples to marry and only the second to currently offer this equality. News reports of swarms of locust heading northward from Mississippi riding lightning bolts are currently unverified. <vote poll=world385 closed="yes">Rationality seems to be catching as Jerusalem elects a new secular mayor. <vote poll=world384 closed="yes">Catholic Bishops vow to forcefully confront Barack Obama over his support for choice. Here's hoping they lose their tax exempt status (along with the Mormons).

<vote poll=world 382 closed="yes"> Election of Obama spikes al-qaeda's rhetoric <vote poll=world381 closed="yes"> Renegade takes over in the White house. Radiance is my personal favorite. <vote poll=world380 closed="yes">Anyone looking for a job? Get some rationality into government. Give it a try! <vote poll=world379 closed="yes">*SIGH*... Here we go again. <vote poll=world378 closed="yes">Israeli monks in Christianity's holiest church put on a stunning display of Christian behavior: They beat each other senseless with at least one claim of a sucker punch and resulting in Israeli riot police breaking up the fight with assault rifles. <vote poll=world377 closed="yes">Gun Control Rule # 1: Don't give a gun to a child and don't train them in how to use firearms. Naturally, gun nuts can't even manage that and yet another preventable tragedy happens. <vote poll=world376 closed="yes">Both Utah and Mormonism are to face severe punishment for the Mormons' involvement in the passing of Proposition 8 in California. <vote poll=world375 closed="yes">Silverton, Oregon, population 9500, becomes the first city in the United States to elect an openly transgendered mayor. (He was transgendered, but closeted, when he served as Silverton's mayor in the 1990s.) <vote poll=world374 closed="yes">A Democrat won the election? Quick, lets go buy some mostly defensive weapons of gun <vote poll=world373 closed="yes">Reid seeks to show Lieberman that there's no love for one who betrays their party. <vote poll=world372 closed="yes">Berlusconi on Obama: "He has a great tan!" <vote poll=world371 closed="yes">Get ready! McCain campaign loyalists are bringing out the long knives to chop up Sarah Palin. First up, she thought Africa was a country, not a continent. <vote poll=world370 closed="yes">Massive survey shows that ability to absorb ultraviolet radiation safely is no longer a major issue. <vote poll=world369 closed="yes">The world is happy with Obama's win. <vote poll=world368 closed="yes"> Obama Wins!! <vote poll=world367 closed="yes">A new study finds that even extremely liberal (or conservative) professors have almost no influence on the political leanings of college students. There goes that "liberal indoctrination on campus" seminar. <vote poll=world366 closed="yes"> CNN tells us what we already know: there are angry people on the intrenets. <vote poll=world365 closed="yes">Obama's grandmother dies at 86. What effect will this have on the election? And is it heartless to ask?