RationalWiki:What is going on in the world?/June 2009

June 2009
Minnesota Supreme Court: "Give that man a senate seat." And it only took SEVEN MONTHS. Appropriately, Franken's presence will give the Democrats enough votes to halt fillibusters. Tim ("No New Taxes, but a Whole Bevy of New Fees") Pawlenty makes a non-promise promise: He'll send Al Franken to the Senate if the Minnesota Supreme Court orders him to do it and if the federal courts don't save him from the obligation fast enough. Sexual stereotyping definitely won't happen if the child is not raised with a gender. The Honduran military is so pissed that they decided to arrest the president of Honduras and stage a coup. FAMOUS TV PITCHMAN BILLY MAYS FOUND DEAD IN HIS HOME AT THE AGE OF 50. Jesus was a wuss, he should have carried a gun. Jesus Atheist Camp. Robert Wright says that when you look at the evolution of religion, you see it moving steadily in a positive moral direction. Yeah, Wright; the Christians sure moved the ancient Greek philosophers in a positive moral direction by burning down their library. A 35,000-year-old flute has been discovered in Germany. Perhaps Andy will soon be not only saying that the flute is a phony, but claiming that Jesus invented music in the same manner in which he invented humor. British muslims split over Afghan war Crop circle culprits revealed! Comparing sex scandals for the last few decades: Democrats and Republicans running just about even. HOLY CRAP! Michael Jackson died a few hours after Farrah died. Update: ...and he almost brought down the tubez in the process. In the name of Jee-zus, I cast thee out, ho-mo-sek-shull demon! Keith Ellison accepts an all-expenses-paid pilgrimage to Mecca but does not inform the House Ethics Committee. They come down on him like flies on excrement. Television, movie star and national Sex Symbol Farrah Fawcett passes away after a long battle with cancer. She was 62. <vote poll=world811 closed="yes">Chaos in Iran, North Korea is making threats daily, America is badly in debt, what can we do? I know, lets bitch about Transformers 2 cause some of the characters are "racist." <vote poll=world810 closed="yes">Republican Mark Sanford, governor of South Carolina, disappears, tells no one, not even his wife, where he's going, calls in and says he was on a hiking trip on the Appalachian Trail (which totally wasn't suspicious at all). In reality, he was having an affair with an Argentinian woman. <vote poll=world809 closed="yes">New York Times: Study shows that gender bias against women in theater is the fault of women in theater. <vote poll=world808 closed="yes">The St. Petersburg Times is doing an expose on Scientology, with the help of several disgruntled ex-members. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3. Massive lawsuit from the Church in 3...2...1... <vote poll=world807 closed="yes">Ever wonder why W. Mark Felt called himself "Deep Throat"? Turns out that the FBI -- where Felt was second in command at the time -- was completely obsessed somewhat concerned with the growing popularity of a certain movie. <vote poll=world806 closed="yes">Ouch! Download 24 songs... get fined $1.9 million. <vote poll=world805 closed="yes">With the exception of a breathalyser, a black toilet roll holder and some books on the power of persuasion and getting cheap laughs in speeches, UK MP's expenses are pretty mundane, actually. <vote poll=world804 closed="yes">Isn't that cute? He thinks he's relevant. George, if we want your opinion, we'll waterboard it out of you. <vote poll=world803 closed="yes">British bloggers have no right to personal privacy. <vote poll=world802 closed="yes">From the Whoda thunk it department? Insurance has driven up the cost of Healthcare! (With special guest star Andy Schlafly!) <vote poll=world801 closed="yes">And now if he can just do the same with Bin Laden... <vote poll=world800 closed="yes">Tennessee Senator’s aide caught sending racist Obama e-mail - "I went on the wrong e-mail and I inadvertently hit the wrong button." Yes, we all hate it when we send hate mail to people who might notice that the content shows what a hater we are. On a curious note, one wonders who the people on the "right list" that she meant to send this to are. <vote poll=world799 closed="yes">Another Republican senator admits to having an extramarital affair. Pretty soon the news will be which Republican politicians and pundits don't have affairs, live in the closet, lust after children, do drugs. . . . <vote poll=world798 closed="yes">Civics at it's finest. Obama may be forced to defend DOMA, but he doesn't have to agree with it. <vote poll=world797 closed="yes">More lovely Republican humour - this time about our 'wog' president! "Can't see Obama in the woodshed, can you ho ho?!"  Gosh what fun Republicans are! <vote poll=world796 closed="yes">New York Times: Sonia Sotomayor defends her membership of the Belizean Grove, saying that it does not discriminate against men because "all interested individuals are duly considered by the membership committee." Sure, Judge Sotomayor; like that sort of talk is ever any good for defending the entire scientific establishment against claims of "systemic sexism." <vote poll=world795 closed="yes">Iran decides to risk repeating Florida 2000. <vote poll=world794 closed="yes">Memo from the Amish to the state of Pennsylvania. Re: Outhouse design, sewage testing and disposal. Dear PA: It's our religous right to throw our shit over other people's wells. God said so. Therefore, we're willing to go to jail to preserve our right to contaminate other people's water supplies. <vote poll=world793 closed="yes">Coca-Cola: official partner of the Creation Museum! <vote poll=world792 closed="yes">Yet another reason not to be religious: ReserveASpotInHeaven.com's server hasn't been struck by lightning yet. <vote poll=world791 closed="yes">Who sez conservatives have no sense of humor? A prominent South Carolina Republican "apologizes" after comparing Michelle Obama to a gorilla, saying the comment was "clearly in jest". Get it? Negroes look like monkeys! Now that's funny! <vote poll=world790 closed="yes">Everyone! Meet the new Miss Calfornia, who happens to be Carrie Prejean Jr. (in terms of political views). <vote poll=world789 closed="yes">Looking for safe place to stash your cash? Banks? NO! Mattress? YES Sorry thats a NO too. <vote poll=world788 closed="yes">Ahmadinejad wins! <vote poll=world787 closed="yes">So much of Obama being a messiah of gay rights, The Obama In Justice Department decides to defend the Gay Oppression Defense of Marriage Act. <vote poll=world786 closed="yes">Microsoft not allowed to bundle IE with Windows 7 in Europe. Next from the EU courts; it's against competition rules to bundle tires with a car. Or the engine. Or the windows. Or the chassis... <vote poll=world785 closed="yes">After initially supporting her right to make anti-gay hate statements, Donald Trump fires Miss California USA Carrie Prejean because she skipped several contractually required appearances. . . . so she could make anti-gay hate statements to groups of right wing fundies "at unsanctioned appearances." <vote poll=world784 closed="yes">Religious dingbats are suing for the "right" to burn library books. <vote poll=world783 closed="yes">Scott Roeder, the man charged in the murder of Dr. Tiller issues a warning from prison: "I know there are many other similar events planned around the country as long as abortion remains legal." Why is he not charged with terrorism again? <vote poll=world782 closed="yes">Where are the hundred million missing women? <vote poll=world781 closed="yes">Apparently today, June 6, is Control Women Protest the Pill Day. Because women's sexuality is bad, mm'kay? <vote poll=world780 closed="yes"> Homeopath found guilty of manslaughter of his own daughter after relying on alternative medicine. How many more before they make this bullshit illegal? <vote poll=world779 closed="yes">xkcd does it again... <vote poll=world778 closed="yes">Opinions on organ transplants still seem to be rooted in myth. <vote poll=world777 closed="yes">"Mind your own business." -- Chinese government, 20 years after the Tiananmen event <vote poll=world776 closed="yes">Sotomayor, "radical, anti-gun" opinions were upheld by a conservative court. <vote poll=world775 closed="yes">The socialist state of New Hampshire has legalized gay marriage just as Barack Hussein Gay Obama declares June, LGBT Pride Month. Word of Dick Cheney holding a secret celebration in his lair is yet unconfirmed.