RationalWiki:What is going on in the world?/May 2012

May 2012
Michael Bloomberg is coming for your Big Gulp! And so the crazy begins: Oklahoma doctor refuses to provide rape victim with emergency contraception, because it was against her religious beliefs. Louisiana newspaper defends running ad that asks the magical question: "Will Obama and the Democrats shoot Christians and Catholics?" One Million Moms views on homosexuality don't seem to be the only thing they are 50 years behind on. PROTIP: Children don't read comic books anymore! US evangelical group uses Saul & The Amalekites to teach children it's OK to murder atheists "In Texas Senate races, it was a night for the conservatives." Any bets which will be the next state to start passing wingnut laws? The standards body of U.S. Conservative Judaism introduce new ritual frameworks for same-sex Jewish weddings. Mazel tov! A pastor in West Virginia chugs strychnine and handles a rattlesnake in his service, pursuant to Mark 16:17-18. He, like his father before him, dies on the job, thus demonstrating that he was not a True Believer™. It seems the US and Israel created Stuxnet. Problem is, they lost control of it. Pastor jailed for advocating corporal punishment for young children. 400 ppm carbon dioxide is here. North Carolina's Tea Party-dominated legislature moves to criminalize accurate predictions of sea level rise. Trends: they don't work that way. U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals rules DOMA unconstitutionally denies federal benefits to married same-sex couples. I dont think that the music industry hires mathematicians... Strong showing, Hollande. Well, well, well. How many times will this have to happen for people to listen? <vote poll=world5325 closed="yes">It's Political Correctness Time! Is it alright to call Nazi death camps Polish? <vote poll=world5324 closed="yes">Disagree with Bobby's budget ideas? Get your budget cut by 1/2 a mil with no explanation <vote poll=world5323 closed="yes">The Dominion of Canada is dying. Update: Speaking of Tories, WTF? <vote poll=world5322 closed="yes">[http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-05/28/mass-extinction-recovery Er... the Earth is fine and we are the ones who are fucked?] <vote poll=world5321 closed="yes">"It's not a racist problem, it's a cultural problem!" The first Euro tournament to show the Nazi salute live on international television? <vote poll=world5320 closed="yes">Deutschland über alles. <vote poll=world5319 closed="yes">Like customizing your bike? Then be very careful about the parts you use.

<vote poll=world5318 closed="yes">A man was killed by police in Miami, FL as he ate the face of his victim. <vote poll=world5317 closed="yes">The line between tolerance and condemnation frequently blurs - this is probably one of the most extreme. <vote poll=world5316 closed="yes">How to Stop Violent Gangs 101 — Fire artillery into residential areas. <vote poll=world5315 closed="yes">Hello again, sockpuppet. <vote poll=world5314 closed="yes">The butler did it. No, really. <vote poll=world5313 closed="yes">Some in the Roman Catholic Church are finally realizing they're waging a winless war. <vote poll=world5312 closed="yes">First the Koreans, then the Filipinos, now the Poles, Marion Barry you're just the gift that keeps on giving. <vote poll=world5311 closed="yes">Got any ideas on how geologists can waste precious time and money? Here's a suggestion. Have them use biblical-era seismic records (????) and the book of Matthew to pinpoint the date of Jesus' crucifixion. <vote poll=world5310 closed="yes">Very interesting... (compare this to the Liberals during the Adscam fiasco) <vote poll=world5309 closed="yes">Greens spark euthanasia debate in Finland. Wingnut reaction is as expected. <vote poll=world5308 closed="yes">[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-23/maersk-line-thwarts-attack-by-pirates-north-east-of-fujairah.html Nuke Iran! Nuke Iran! Do it! DO IT.] <vote poll=world5307 closed="yes">53% of Americans overall support gay marriage. And 59% of African-Americans do. Wasn't Obama's stance on gay marriage supposed to alienate those anti-gay rights black voters....? <vote poll=world5306 closed="yes">London Metropolitan anti-corruption police officer arrested for allegedly taking bribes <vote poll=world5305 closed="yes">Extremists in Afghanistan, opposed to women's education, have apparently taken to poisoning schoolgirls. <vote poll=world5304 closed="yes"> Muslims don't understand democracy Egyptians vote freely for a new President. Just hope for a secularist though. <vote poll=world5302 closed="yes">Superheroes in gay marriage shock! <vote poll=world5301 closed="yes">More "Christian love:" NC pastor says gays and lesbians should be kept behind electrified fences until they die out.

<vote poll=world5300 closed="yes">No wonder the Daily Fail is on top of this story. The headline is just so. . . them on so many levels -- "Missing girl 'buried in murdered mobster's tomb was kidnapped for Vatican sex parties', claims Catholic Church's leading exorcist priest" <vote poll=world5299 closed="yes">And we thought that summer would mean the end of this bullshit. <vote poll=world5298 closed="yes">Newt Gingrich facing bankruptcy. <vote poll=world5297 closed="yes">The dawn of a new space age? After Sunday's abort, SpaceX launches successfully Falcon9/Dragon towards the International Space Station (video). It's expected to be berthed with it before the end of the week. <vote poll=world5296 closed="yes">The sad truth is that hundreds of Americans will want to bid on this.

<vote poll=world5294 closed="yes">Members Of Congress Speak Like High School Sophomores, and the worst offenders are all Republicans. <vote poll=world5293 closed="yes">"Staines-upon-Thames massive" just doesn't have the same ring to it. <vote poll=world5292 closed="yes">Abdelbaset al-Megrahi dies. <vote poll=world5291 closed="yes">Ahh, the tropical paradise that is the Maldives... not! <vote poll=world5290 closed="yes">Headline says it all. <vote poll=world5289 closed="yes">Arizona, we give you two words: Fuck off.

<vote poll=world5288 closed="yes">America takes another lurch towards a 1984-esque dystopia. <vote poll=world5287 closed="yes">SpaceX launch aborted at last half-second by computer. (Next launch window: Tuesday 22nd) <vote poll=world5286 closed="yes">Same-sex marriage is not legal in Maryland, but same-sex divorce is. <vote poll=world5285 closed="yes">John Waters is fucking hardcore awesome shit <vote poll=world5284 closed="yes">A psychiatrist says "sorry" to gays. <vote poll=world5283 closed="yes">Turn the clock back to the 1950s, and this would be happening to communist sympathizers. <vote poll=world5282 closed="yes">Biden smash! "And by the way, I'll take a lot of credit for a man having land on the moon, because all the while in school, I rooted for it." <vote poll=world5281 closed="yes">Vision Forum's online poll about Obama's Same-Sex Marriage endorsement gets taken over by pro same-sex marriage pollsters. <vote poll=world5280 closed="yes">for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee Harper <vote poll=world5279 closed="yes">Racism really is everywhere. <vote poll=world5278 closed="yes">Malawi bucks the trend of homophobic lawmaking in Africa. <vote poll=world5277 closed="yes">Apparently Jesus belongs to Tim Tebow AND NO ONE ELSE!. <vote poll=world5276 closed="yes">Hello, RationalWiki. While I've been on hiatus due to recent drama, this ignorant prick is forcing me to return to the site on a near-daily basis. So let's cut a deal. Give this asshole the criticism he deserves without me, and you'll have the added benefit of refraining my infamous editing record. Thanks - OS <vote poll=world5275 closed="yes">New Zealand creates catalogue of the country's entire known living and fossil life from 530 million years ago to today. <vote poll=world5274 closed="yes">TED is apparently too scared to show the reality on income inequality in the United States...and the National Journal loves it. <vote poll=world5273 closed="yes">Justin Bieber will go. He will vanish and shrink. Jesus is more popular than him now. We don't know which will go first — pop music or Christianity.

<vote poll=world5272 closed="yes">Kansas has passed a law that makes it legal for doctors to refuse to fill birth control prescriptions. Critics say that under the law, a doctor could also refuse to treat a pregnant woman for cancer if the treatment could cause a miscarriage. <vote poll=world5271 closed="yes">Now it is not just the "moonbats" saying that Dubya is a war criminal; the matter has been decided by a Malaysian court that apparently decided to give itself jurisdiction in the matter. <vote poll=world5270 closed="yes">Greece creates another caretaker government after parties can't decide on anything, and the day of reckoning will occur in June. <vote poll=world5269 closed="yes">The Pentagon paid $150 million each for this crap?

<vote poll=world5268 closed="yes">Faux News blames the increase in support for same-sex marriages on... public schools. <vote poll=world5267 closed="yes">Want to stop the spread of AIDS? Make the women shave their heads and bathe less. <vote poll=world5266 closed="yes">You know the meme about "Ceiling cat is always watching? Well, substitute "pastor" for "ceiling cat" and you've got it. <vote poll=world5265 closed="yes">[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/auditor-general-hits-back-at-critics-defends-scathing-f-35-report/article2433738/ "Let's hear it from the Harper gang - 'This is the media's fault.' 'The Auditor General is a Liberal mole.' 'No, he's actually a socialist.' 'He's from Quebec? They don't like us there.' 'The whole world is against us. We are victims of a vast left-wing conspiracy!' Take responsibility and stop the lies and the blaming. Harpo appointed him. You have no excuses."] <vote poll=world5264 closed="yes">After a 2008 car accident left a 71-year-old man paralyzed, doctors managed to bypass the damaged nerves through surgery. While he was able to move his arm, he had still lost the ability to pinch and grab with his fingers... until now. <vote poll=world5263 closed="yes">Supreme Court to issue a ruling on if pumping someone with 50,000V of electricity is police brutality. <vote poll=world5262 closed="yes">Norway disestablishes its state-funded church. Secularists, always happy to sling broadsides at their best friends in lieu of grappling with an actual adversary, rejoice. <vote poll=world5261 closed="yes">[http://news.yahoo.com/wrong-man-executed-texas-probe-says-051125159.html Hey, Texas kills another innocent! Rick Perry now seriously considering a death lottery as a means to sate citizens' bloodlust] <vote poll=world5260 closed="yes">Paul Cameron says that because Obama supports gay marriage, he must also be gay. Oh yes, and all gays should be locked up, before they rape children. <vote poll=world5259 closed="yes">In Lexington, Kentucky, two lesbians are barred from their school prom, so the students hold a better one in the car park. <vote poll=world5258 closed="yes">Nevada issues a driver's license to a car. <vote poll=world5257 closed="yes">The stupid continues to burn above the 49th parallel. <vote poll=world5256 closed="yes">Somewhere, I hope, someone is telling Romney: You can take yer approval ratings and shove 'em straight up yer ass! <vote poll=world5255 closed="yes">Ron Paul announces he will no longer campaign (citing lack of money); but still wants his followers to vote for him

<vote poll=world5253 closed="yes">The dark history of Mothers' Day. <vote poll=world5252 closed="yes">Arrrrr, ye mateys! <vote poll=world5251 closed="yes">Trekkies going too far? <vote poll=world5250 closed="yes">Romney goes to a certain institution of -- AHEM! -- "higher learning" to deliver the commencement address. (BTW, he used the opportunity to double-down on his anti-gay marriage stance. It's a one-liner about halfway through the speech which you can read here.)  Since LU was founded by Jerry Falwell, it should come as no surprise that it is so fundamentalist Christian that the curricula of two required courses teach that Mormonism is a cult. And many of the students believe that so whole-heartedly that they remain pissed off that the school invited a cultist to deliver the speech even after Jerry Junior told them weeks ago to get over it. <vote poll=world5249 closed="yes">Fundie school forfeits state championship, rather than play against a girl. <vote poll=world5248 closed="yes">Read the fine print, 2012 apocalypse proponents! <vote poll=world5247 closed="yes">Missing - 1 Bow Shock: Please return to Sol if found. IBEX starts probing The Outer Limits, sorry, the heliosphere. <vote poll=world5246 closed="yes">All glory to The Hypnotoad Norway!

<vote poll=world5245 closed="yes">Joe "Sheriffs are all powerful"" Arpaio is sued by the Justice Department over civil rights abuses. <vote poll=world5244 closed="yes">Mitt Romney was, of course, a violent gaybasher at school. But it's okay! After initially denying it, he now says "if anybody was hurt by that or offended by that I apologize".

<vote poll=world5242 closed="yes">President Obama declares his support for marriage equality. <vote poll=world5241 closed="yes">Ron Paul gets a new campaign theme song... courtesy of "Pokemon." <vote poll=world5240 closed="yes">Teabaggers call for armed revolution if Obama wins again. So much for democracy. <vote poll=world5239 closed="yes">North Carolina takes a step further back from Equal Rights, banning official non Male-Female relationships. <vote poll=world5238 closed="yes">The Obama Administration turns a surplus for their first month.

<vote poll=world5236 closed="yes">Fuck, fuck, fuck. Update: Oh no.

<vote poll=world5234 closed="yes">Three years on, can al-Qaeda improve on Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's underwear bomb and get it working? Nope. <vote poll=world5233 closed="yes">After greenhouse gas emissions declined by 1.5% in 2009, they increased by 5.8% in 2010. Thanks economic recovery! <vote poll=world5232 closed="yes">Introducing the 100% effective, reversible male birth control. <vote poll=world5231 closed="yes">"We think it's a good idea to spend $30 billion because...er...yes! Put an extra 'very' in there. That will get them off our backs." <vote poll=world5230 closed="yes">Le nain [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17975660 a perdu. Je répète, le nain a perdu.]

<vote poll=world5228 closed="yes">Democratic congressman: [http://www.goddiscussion.com/96308/congressman-urges-respect-for-nonbelievers-but-doesnt-think-atheists-truly-exist-in-america/ We should respect nonbelievers. But they don't really exist!] <vote poll=world5227 closed="yes">Kathryn Rogers flies for free then? <vote poll=world5226 closed="yes">The Prosperity Gospel works for some people at least. <vote poll=world5225 closed="yes">The beginning of the end. I'm not a crook! <vote poll=world5224 closed="yes">Remember the Sedsuden movement from the to-do list? It's going to go one step further: Japan will try to survive the summer without any nuclear power. <vote poll=world5223 closed="yes">Cautious optimism... <vote poll=world5222 closed="yes">Rand Paul has an actually thoroughly good idea for the first time in his life: scrap the TSA. <vote poll=world5221 closed="yes">'Billboards in Chicago paid for by The Heartland Institute point out that some of the world’s most notorious criminals say they “still believe in global warming”' <vote poll=world5220 closed="yes"> Diablo Conrad Black walks the earth <vote poll=world5219 closed="yes">Suddenly those kiddies' programs I used to watch make far more sense... <vote poll=world5218 closed="yes">Porn vs. religious internet sites -- can you guess which type Symantec says is by far the riskiest to click on? <vote poll=world5217 closed="yes">Barack Obama might be the first President to have his early sex life detailed while still in office (well, with the exception of Bill, but that was an in-House relationship). In the words of one NPR commenter, "I will hazard the observation that the contrast with Shrub could not be starker." <vote poll=world5216 closed="yes">Afghan woman flees home and finds refuge from an "honor killing" among the U.S. Military

<vote poll=world5214 closed="yes">Prison personnel being laid off? Replace them with dog-wolf hybrids <vote poll=world5213 closed="yes">The World Trade Center quietly reclaims the New York skyline. <vote poll=world5212 closed="yes">Ouch. Not a time to be a Murdoch. <vote poll=world5111 closed="yes">Any Stephen King fans out there? <vote poll=world5110 closed="yes">"But it's from Berkeley! They're all a bunch of godless sodomites!"