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

Academy Awards 2012: The Artist gets Best Picture and four others, Hugo also wins five. Best Documentary goes to Undefeated, but not that Undefeated.

19

When your pastor is convicted of lewd conduct with teenagers and banned from unsupervised contact with children, what's the solution? Ban kids from the church.

16

The vote-suppression scandal continues to widen as Opposition parties charge that Stephen Harper is the Canadian-version of Richard Nixon.

23

Santorum thinks it was wrong to apologize for Koran burnings, because it was not intentional. So if anyone ever accidentally hits the Senator with their car, remember that apologizing would be completely improper.

19

Shorter Santorum: The Constitution makes me want to throw up.

19

Even Republicans are aghast at the Clown Car of Candidates.

8

Looks like Google are forgetting their "Don't be evil" motto.

8

I told you, I am not Xena!.

9

My head just exploded. A group of lesbians attacked a gay man. It can't be a hate crime 'cause the gals are into Sapphic love... I just don't know what to think anymore...

4

Two die in fire at Brazil's Antarctic research station.

10

Silvio Berlusconi evades justice yet again.

7

A Pennsylvania Muslim has been acquitted after assaulting a man dressed as an undead Mohammed for Halloween. According to the judge, it was Sweet Zombie Mohammed's own fault for "looking like a doofus".

18

Wyoming sets up a committee to prepare for the collapse of America. Options include an alternative currency, independent military draft and, for the mountainous, landlocked state... an aircraft carrier?

9

Safe to say, we've fucked this one up.

21

Former Archbishop: You can't have gay marriage, because the government doesn't "own" marriage. Minister: You're right, it's "owned" by the people, and they seem in favour of gay marriage.

8

Mitt, it's one thing to hire a stadium for your speech, it's another thing to actually fill it.

10

Shit's going down now: Mass electoral fraud being investigated against Stephen Harper in the 2011 election.

12

On Saturday, Anne Frank may have been baptised Mormon-by-proxy.

27

Lawsuit: Obama can't be President because he's a mulatto. _{(At least they've stopped pretending it's not about race.)}

15

Maryland becomes the latest US State to have the religious wingnuts frothing at the CENSORED

5

A Russian prosecutor office wants to classify a "translation with commentary" of the Bhagavad Gita as extremist literature. The list of the alleged problems with it sounds somewhat familiar...

20

The Clown Car of Candidates lie their asses off during the most recent debate.

13

File under "N" for "No shit, Sherlock": Goldline is a scam.

16

Marie Colvin killed in Syria.

9

Men aren't disappearing.

23

Sorry, no faster-than-light neutrinos for you!

7

Think Progress's parent organization, CAPAF, fires back at the Heartland Institute's legal threats.

21

Westboro Baptist Church threatens to picket Whitney Houstons funeral. Chickens out, and photoshops themselves into pictures from said funeral, claiming success.

24

Indiana resolution celebrating 100 years of the Girl Scouts opposed by Republican State Representative: "abundant evidence proves that the agenda of Planned Parenthood includes sexualizing young girls through the Girl Scouts, which is quickly becoming a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood".

7

Returning veterans and those on National Guard deployments have a hard time getting work when they come home. Who's the worst offender? Their former boss.

13

Houston, we've got waterworlds.

16

Andrew Schlafly's head might explode: An atheist blogger manages to defy the assertion that atheists are not charitable and raises $40K for a public school junior for upholding the U.S. Constitution and fighting to have a public prayer display removed from her school.

9

Now where for Moore's law?

12

According to a collective of Blue Planet prizewinning scientists, "Civilisation faces 'perfect storm of ecological and social problems'."

11

Peter Gleick admits to using a false name and not confirming sources in the Heartland Institute controversy,. Way to go Heartland! Update: Gleick withdraws from the board of directors of the NCSE over the matter. Unfortunately for you, the science confirming climate change remains unchanged.

7

Opposite Week drags on even further as Pat Robertson starts spouting rational nonsense.

12

Frothy's stupidity levels have finally reached Caribou Barbie's. Congratulations, you just won a free trip to Alaska!

10

Let's see the creationists explain this.

8

The hamburger of the future, today! (Well, by autumn, anyway)

9

Citigroup admits to misleading HUD on mortgages, settles a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

22

The Heartland Institute vaguely threatens desmog blog for releasing their own documents that they haven't confirmed if they are authentic or not. Also threatened: Brad Johnson from 'ThinkProgress'; Arianna Huffington from The Huffington Post; John H. Harris from Politico; Greg Laden, a blogger at ScienceBlogs; 350 or Bust; and Charles Johnson from Little Green Footballs. And a 71-year-old veteran writing in a local newspaper. Popcorn anyone?

5

The day of reckoning for Greece... and pretty much the world economy. Fun.

7

NASA is looking for around 160 missing moon rocks. They're alien spiders, I tell ya!

24

Rick Santorum, being on something of a roll today, attacks President Obama for not having policies that are based on the bible. Um, Ricky, you are aware of something called the separation of church and state aren't you? Hello? Ricky? Update: He's getting more insane every minute.

18

The Heartland Institute pulls a Scientology, threatening to sue people discussing the Denialgate documents. Let us know how that works out for you.

16

Halp halp, Satan is taking over America! Or that's what Rick Santorum says in a reeeeally creepy speech... [1]

7

...and Opposite Day continues as Labour MP Ed Balls starts advocating supply-side economics.

25

The clown car of candidates skids round another bend, as Romney calls Santorum "too liberal."

10

The GOP closet gets a little bigger as Mitt Romney's Arizona campaign co-chair hits the right-wing hypocrisy daily double.

6

ESPN stick their foot in it, the night God forsakes Jeremy Lin. This is not the first time the station has taken it too far.

6

The WHO still can't decide whether or not to release the bird flu "death-weapon" data.

-1

Chris "Mr. Creosote" Christie vetoes same-sex marriage in New Jersey.

14

In an attempt to curb terrorism, the FBI arrest a terrorist that they basically recruited, trained and armed themselves.

20

The Climategate guys: How does it feel, Heartland?

11

Meet the woman who wants to be President of Afghanistan.

15

O Canada, our home and nativ-OH DEAR GOD WHAT IS THAT THING?

19

Obama: "I want to reduce the amount of US nukes to around 300." Conservatives: "300 warheads is nowhere near enough! It won't last us the nuclear winter!"

20

Republican-led House committee holds a hearing on insurance coverage of contraceptives. Invited to testify by committee chair Darrell Issa -- five men (mostly clergy) and two token women, both from right-wing Christian colleges. Other women were available to testify, but were deemed by Issa to be not "appropriate and qualified."

9

VIDEO: The frothy mix's main financial backer tells Andrea Mitchell how "gals" used Bayer aspirin as birth control back when he was a kid.

12

Liberia introduces a bill that could make homosexuality punishable by death.

15

New Jersey legalises gay marriage. Christie vetoed.

22

Disabled? Too ill to work? No, too ill to get paid to work.

14

Canadian citizens are apparently no longer qualified to know how the Harper Regime is spending their tax dollars...or even what services are being cut. Update: Oh for Christ's sake.

20

New from the University of Obviousness: LGBT youth who experience victimization and harassment from family and peers are more likely to be suicidal.

17

“Vic 'You're with the Child Pornographers' Toews wants to know about you. Let's get to know about Vic..."

20

Fuck it, this is not going to clogs - Frothy Mix's new attack ad. The best quote: "Mitt Romney's ugly attacks are going to backfire."

19

Uganda's Minister of Ethics and Integrity orders gay rights meeting to close. "You cannot allow terrorists to organise to destroy your country," he says.

10

Largest American Bitcoin exchange shuts down, citing "regulation" and shortage of funds.

34

You want a new Climategate? How about the leaked strategy documents from the Heartland Institute detailing the concerted attack on science and reality? And, of course, spot the donor. And the beneficiary.

7

The Wikileaks Cablegate Top 100.

8

A Religious freedom advocate? We certainly can't have that in China.

7

American Humanist Association (red link? really?) argues in court that the United States Pledge of Allegiance violates the Massachusetts Constitution.

9

Some stories write their own WIGO.

12

An Ipsos-Mori poll (sponsored by the Richard Dawkins foundation, mind) reveals that most people who put themselves down as "Christian" in the UK in fact don't go to Church, don't read the Bible, and know pretty much sod all about it (though Reverend Giles Fraser says they still count). Update: the full skinny from the RDF.

7

Newt to Taitz: "STFU!"

13

Google's Valentine's Day doodle dabbles in some politics. "It's against my religion for cookies and milk to marry. Please remove this offensive video."

5

An Ontario Superior Court judge tells Stephen Harper to go shove it.

11

Newscorp throw their sources under the bus.

25

You are with us, or the child pornographers.

16

Because it's the secularists who are engaging in suicide bombing and molestation cover-ups...

18

Rick Santorum vows to overturn any Supreme Court ruling that would legalize gay marriage, as well as Roe v. Wade...apparently by using executive powers that don't exist.

9

Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have all pledged to ~~uphold the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment~~ ~~help create jobs~~ ~~reduce the size and strength of the federal government~~ enforce obscenity laws that restrict the distribution of pornography.

17

Seven down, 43 to go.

1

Who wants to learn about the physics of ponytails?

13

Any chance this could pass...at all?

11

Alabama denies food stamps to U.S. citizens... who just happen to have illegal immigrant parents.

4

Someone's a little power-mad. Don't think the male RationalWikians would care though *wink* *wink*

20

It's not rape, this is what God's love feels like.

5

Them good ol' boys down in Tennessee take Facebook de-friendings way too seriously.

0

RIP, Whitney Houston.

4

Buffy the ~~Vampire~~ Foetus Slayer

7

Now's your chance. Run.

10

The end of Page 3 as we know it?

13

Remember kids, 12345 is a baaaad password.

11

In Mother Russia, the hatemongering is strong...

16

Now we'll see just how anti contraception the GOP really are.

14

First ever Afghanistani animated cartoon is very cute. "The song encourages children, teenagers and even adults who want a caged bird at home to let them be free, 'cause birds want to be free to fly. Also, other animals have rights too."

9

Mitt Romney appears to have hired one of our "good friends" to write jumping-the-gun speeches for him.

10

Piltdown Man receives some birthday cheer.

10

Rumours of Kim Jong-un's assassination spread via Weibo & Twitter.

8

If there's any RationalWikians living in Greece, we suggest you leave. Now.

6

The latest attempt to make soccer appeal to Americans: Ultimate Tazer Ball.

8

You have been reported to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Cease your unlawful actions at once, snail!

22

If a pregnant woman in Georgia miscarries she could be lethally injected or otherwise subject to the death penalty. [2]

17

You have to see this: The Republican that ensured gay marriage passed in Washington state.

2

Listen to Buck, use your nukes.

3

Anyone remember The Secret World of Alex Mack? The British Board of Film Classification has rated the DVD release as a "15" - putting it on par with Paranormal Activity 3 and Insidious, and a few steps above Jurassic Park and Terminator 3. Yes, really.

10

Judge whales into PETA.

-33

Another reason to hate the French.

8

CEO of the RIAA: ~~Home taping~~ Silicon Valley propaganda about SOPA is killing music (and it should be illegal).

28

Washington state legalizes gay marriage. Meanwhile, a bit further south, certain residents of California are having none of it and are going straight to the Supreme Court to throw a hissy fit.

0

Arizona judges keep candidate off ballot, on the grounds that a person who cannot speak English is unqualified for government even in a Spanish-speaking community.

16

Online piracy acts? How about a decentralised, purely P2P BitTorrent client, free from external websites and servers, that literally cannot be shut down without destroying the entire internet.

12

Life... 100 million years older than we originally thought.

13

Now they wanna outlaw masturbation...! Wankers!

12

Maths: C+; English: B; Oh, yes, being gay is a choice...

6

Marshmallows.

16

This is going to be one great Presidential election. We also expect an increase in shower usage for 2012.

9

I for one, welcome our new ant overlords.

5

A hot new way to modify terabytes of information... per second.

5

Two Godwins in two days for the Harper government. This comes after...well, read for yourself.

28

Prop 8 declared unconstitutional again, this time by a three-judge panel of the federal Ninth Circuit. The Supreme Court case looks inevitable.

11

The US Constitution's influence is dying off, being replaced by the European Convention on Human Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Antonin Scalia is particularly miffed. Those evil empires!

17

Oh no you don't, bastard.

29

A US Congressman thought The Onion was a real news source.

12

Prove that you're psychic and win $1 million, or sue your critics for a mere £150,000... we now know what Psychic Sally prefers.

16

Russian scientists have drilled through the 3,768 metres to Lake Vostok.

17

Given the cost of Super Bowl advertising, Pete Hoekstra (Republican - of course) really wants his constituents to know he's a racist prick.

1

Hypothetical results are in from the not so hypothetical horse race.

1

"I've been really tryin', baby, tryin' to hold back this feeling for so long. And if you feel like I feel, baby, then, c'mon, oh, c'mon. Let's get it on."

13

When the Susan G. Komen/Planned Parenthood flap began, did you wonder who would be the first to cite so-called evidence linking abortion to breast cancer as a good reason for Komen to defund PP? Well, if you did, we now have a frothy winner!

1

Let's do some Godwinning, shall we?

13

Apparently, there is honest rape, and dishonest rape..., oh, and rape "almost never happens, but just imagine it could. (cough1in4womenassaultedcough).

16

Newt's charm just grows and grows.

11

Kansas lawmakers want to declare Toto the state dog. PETA is not happy.

20

Fidel Castro's newly released memoirs inexplicably fail to mention how he dropped dead in 2009.

14

College kid does his homework, finds previously unheard Malcolm X speech, introduced by Richard Holbrooke

4

And once again the UN shows the world how well it works when standing up to brutality.

30

Obama is officially a natural-born citizen.

7

Hentai tentacle porn!! For a good cause.

21

A cardboard cutout of Ayatollah Khomeini inspects Iranian military. ...wait, what?

7

"FBI Incident" takes on a whole new meaning. Update: Speaking of Anonymous, Operation Blitzkrieg has just tagged Ron Paul with another white supremacy group.

14

Komen for the Cure change their mind: "We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives." Or do they?

35

Anoka, Minnesota has launched a fundie-led war on gay teens, resulting in nine suicides in two years and a civil-rights lawsuit has been filed against the school district.

-7

Hey! Monsanto! We don't need your GM foods at all.

12

Some Susan G. Komen Foundation officials have resigned in protest of the pulled funding from Planned Parenthood.

18

JC Penney gives One Million ~~Bigots~~ Moms the finger.