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

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November 2012[edit]

17

North Korea discovers secret unicorn lair.[No, not The Onion] Disappointing UPDATE: Sadly, not unicorns, merely kirin

54

In the UK, religious schools will lose government funding if they don't teach evolution as a fact.

25

The GOP: Oh, you know, John Kerry's a pretty nice guy.

5

Who says that being rich makes you smart? Or good with money? Dick and Betsy DeVos intend to keep a dud of a Broadway musical afloat for the next few weeks because it's about Aimee Semple McPherson, and they're just sure that fundamentalist Christians will gladly fill the (mostly empty) 1450 seats at the Neil Simon Theatre during the Christmas season. (TKTS lists discount ticket prices ranging between $57 and $147 per seat.)

24

UN grants Palestine non-member observer state status. Also, Canada takes several steps backwards as its leadership decides to be on the wrong side of history.

16

NASA's MESSENGER probe sends back photos of ice on Mercury's poles.

14

This is not okay, Syria.

17

NASA: Expect idiots committing suicides on Dec 21.

32

Seralini's infamous "GMO gives cancer to rats" study is definitively rejected by the European Food Safety Agency.

38

"Gay conversion therapy" is being taken to court in New Jersey under the state’s Consumer Fraud Act.

-13

NASA: "We've found something worthy of the history books on Mars." "What is it, NASA?" "Not telling yet LOL!"

8

Cubans will pay taxes for the first time since the 1959 Communist revolution.

4

Sarkozy's wife: Kinder, Küche, Kirche FTW! Shockingly, it is The Telegraph calling her out for being a rich asshole.

25

Even Pat Robertson denies that the Earth is 6,000 years old.

18

Just give them the goddamn Pulitzer already.

18

Irony meters, everyone! Arguably the most batshit mayor in the Western world is hit with a blunt-force legal banhammer that would make his minimum sentencing allies drool. Update: Sun NewsCanada's Faux: "The homosexual extremists did it."

24

Republicans are backing out of Grover Norquist's suicide pact.

39

Parishioner: "Your priest raped my daughters!" Cardinal George Pell: "So? Sue us if you don't like it."

12

Two foster parents have their children taken away because they are UKIP members.

20

A 24-hour petition to further postpone Uganda's "Kill the Gays" bill gets past its halfway mark, with unconfirmed reports of the death penalty clause being removed (for now), retaining life imprisonment.

10

A glimpse of the apocalypse - Walmart Customers Fight Over Phones On Black Friday.

15

Playing dirty in candyland: Austrian thieves drive off with 18 tons of chocolate.

21

Poe's Law emanates in the most unusual of circumstances.

16

21st Century solutions to 14th Century problems...

17

Oh MRAs, you're so, so oppressed!

22

This is why you don't accept wrestling moguls into your political party.

-8

Great tits more susceptible to diseases.

24

"We need to stop insulting the intelligence of the voters," said creationist, eugenicist and former exorcist Bobby Jindal.

12

Phantom Islands are still an issue in the South Pacific

13

Oh Mitt, about that 47% comment...

upneutraldown
14It's official: Believe God protects Kentucky, or go to jail.

14

C'mon UK readers, get this ePetition to the official brushoff stage: No women Bishops, no automatic seats in the House of Lords.

22

The Dutch on abstinence only education: Hahahahahahahaha.

8

Ceasefire in the Middle East. Again.

20

Occupy Wall Street has come up with a plan to bail out people, not banks.

23

The genius who brought the world UnSkewedPolls.com is back. With the same eye for accuracy, he proves that Barack Obama won Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida through voter fraud.

14

Would-be Breivik arrested in Poland

10

The 20 worst candidates of 2012.

10

U.S. federal statistics show that red states suffer from a higher percentage of fatal traffic accidents than blue states.

24

Teen Pakistani Christian girl cleared of blasphemy charges.

14

The Italian branch of Stormfront is closed by the authorities, with four of its posters arrested.

15

Four new studies: college diversity promotes critical thinking, which might explain why Texas Republicans are against teaching critical thinking skills.

3

And more depressing crap from a Christian engaging in the manufacture of child pornography.

19

Recent Conservative attempts to re-open the abortion debate in Canada backfire terribly, as support for unrestricted access to abortion spikes amongst the population.

9

How would you show support for Malala Yousafzai, the Muslim schoolgirl who was shot in the head? If you're Madonna, you dedicate a striptease to her.

35

Marco Rubio: "whether the Earth was created in 7 days, or 7 actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that. It's one of the great mysteries"

upneutraldown
22The War on Christmas has begun early this year

36

The hits just keep coming - Republican poll worker caught complaining about the high turnout amongst "people of color."

14

This week in stopped clocks: GOP Study Committee releases brief debunking copyright myths and the laws that follow from them. Update: Executive Director Paul Teller disowns the brief, surprising no one.

36

Oklahoma lawmaker violates the First Amendment and erects a Ten Commandments monument on state capitol grounds, complete with spelling errors.[No, not The Onion]

18

That these idiots were able to put up a fight against NATO says more about us than them.

25

Not content with making his mistress have an abortion, pro-life Congressman Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) also convinced his ex-wife to have an abortion.

12

One name you won't find on an IKEA product; Stasi.

26

Millionaires ask to pay more taxes

15

Way to make PETA look sane by comparison.

7

Turnout for the police commissioner elections in England and Wales is already at record lows, and it looks as if the number of valid votes may be even lower.

10

Newport, Wales, has a statue commemorating the chartistsWikipedia, who fought and went to prison for the right to vote. If they could read this now...

14

Texan cult leader ordered his wife to be murdered, to cover up ritual sexual assault.

29

IRS being sued for not taking action against tax-exempt churches that become involved in political campaigns.

11

You know that saying "More money than sense?" Yeah, well...

31

"John McCain, if you think the President is lying on Benghazi, why didn't you show up at the classified briefing?" "WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH"

26

The spin around Savita begins: There's no evidence that a Catholic ethos prevented people or inhibiting people from carrying out proper medical treatment.

39

Top Georgia GOP Lawmakers Host Briefing on Secret Obama Mind-Control Plot[No, not The Onion]

30

So, little Uganda, what would you like for Christmas? "I wanna kill the gays!"

6

Fiscal conservatives at their best.

16

The Turnaway Study, one of the few scientific surveys to report on the lives of women who seek (and sometimes cannot get) an abortion, publishes its interesting results. Update: And look at that.

30

For every action there is an equally stupid reaction

8

"Petraeusgate" just went from a simple Lewinsky to full-blown WTFery. Update: And now the top commander in Afghanistan.

16

Obamacare just got a new patient.

35

Willard Mitt Romney. You got no votes. Not a sausage. Bugger all.

16

The Vatican advocates polyamory! (cough)

29

Right-wingers file petitions to secede from the US.[No, not The Onion]

4

Dear Jenny McCarthy: When you were pregnant, did you have the flu, or a fever that lasted for a week or more?

25

CBO: TAX THE FUCKING RICH ALREADY.

-8

Father Tyson.

16

Yeah, we're in bizarro world now.

3

Goddammit Obama, a few of us want to actually get married here sometime soon!

32

Ken Ham's Creation Museum reports its fourth consecutive year of declining attendances since opening AND AiG reports its first ever net loss.

5

After 54 days and a snowballing series of scandals, director general of the BBC George Entwistle resigns, making him the shortest-serving DG in the Corporation's history.

14

President of Fordham University tears apart a Republican club's attempt to invite the Coultergeist on campus. Response: "We regret that we failed to thoroughly research her before announcing."

25

Allen West is a sore loser

22

We still had these?

30

Final result: 332-206

20

The Seattle Police Department addresses the passage of I-502 (legalizing marijuana) with amazing candor and wit. (Spoiler: They actually use "TL;DR" in proper context.)

19

Not Onion: RyanAir CEO thinks that seat belts on planes are unnecessary, wants to offer standing-room only seats

23

The Occupy movement is helping with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts

13

10 years after being rescued from the House of Prayer, the victims, now adults are starting to speak about the abuse.

18

Cue Benghazi conspiracy theories in 3...2...1.. Update: The MIC's fucking around today.

16

HWGA -- Pastor/ex-gay counsellor charged with molesting two young men. (And, yes, the accused is a man.)

13

Coal company announces layoffs in response to Obama's reelection.

20

Sean Hannity's position on illegal immigrants changes spontaneously. Obviously a RINO.

36

Karl Rove is still in the denial stage of grieving the election. Obama won by voter suppression, apparently. Yes, of course, he offers zero evidence to his claims.

20

How fiscally conservative is Romney? Trying to get home from work on election night, his campaign workers discovered their credit cards had already been cut off.

28

Remember when Obamacare survived the Supreme Court and wingnuts threatened to move to Canuckistan? It happened. Again. Update: And to Australia, where their "president" is a male Christian, apparently.

10

Candidates always say that every vote counts, so it might be a good idea to make sure your spouse gets to the polls.

18

The good news for British sceptics is that only 44% of the country believe in God. Unfortunately, there's some bad news too...

22

Despite criticising Obama for using executive orders, Mittens' prepared President-elect website reveals he planned to issue an executive order on the first day in office to begin dismantling Obamacare.

25

El Rushbo gets a head start on warming up the Republican persecution complex for the new term.

12

The counterattack begins. Republicans drafting rules to tighten control over the House, despite Boehner's promises of relaxing control when he became Speaker.

19

Another in a list of firsts: Congress will have its first Hindu Representative. Ommm.

35

Puerto Rico has voted to become the 51st State.

38

Minnesota voters defeat a proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage, making Minnesota "the first state in our country that has faced this question and said 'no'." (Except for Arizona, of course, well... not anymore since 2008)

15

One for the birthers - Barack and Mitt are both born in Kenya!

22

The cream of the twitterati congratulate Obama.

21

New Hampshire makes history by becoming the first state ever to send an all-female delegation to Congress. Also, their new governor-elect will be the only Democratic Party female governor in the US during the next two-year cycle.

33

Conservative bloggers: "Black youth are planning riots in case Obama loses!" Police: "That's nonsense." Real life: White UMiss students start a riot because Obama won.

3

A man fired for joining the British National Party wins his political discrimination case thanks to (check irony meters) the European Court of Human Rights.

18

You were raped by your teachers? Oh, it's probably your fault.

33

Voters boot out another rape denialist - Richard Mourdock can crawl back under his rock now. Ditto Josh Mandel.

40

Donald Trump loses his shit, calls for revolution against his legally elected government.

47

Wisconsin elects the U.S.'s first openly gay senator.

33

This WIGO ought to be the last time you hear the words "Todd Akin." And "Allen West."

39

Fox News gets an early start on making excuses for Obama's re-election.

107

Say it with me, 4 more years!

16

Wingnut Tory MP Nadine Dorries is suspended from the Conservative Party and has managed, perhaps fatally, to annoy the local party that kept her in her seat in the face of all competence, for agreeing to appear in the reality TV show I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here, so that she can push her pro-life views.

23

Oh God, it's like the old Simpsons skit again.

22

Memo to US voters: If you think the "down ballot" candidates and initiatives aren't important enough to garner your attention, somebody at your local elections office might "complete" your ballot for you.

15

Familial dishonour painfully claims another young victim.

8

Is this why Mitt is hiding his tax returns?

20

Mittens charged with violating Federal Ethics Law!

21

Ohio's Secretary of State - the Republican guy who fired County officials who voted for extending early voting - has ordered that “experimental software patches” be installed on vote-counting machines in a number of Ohio counties.

15

St. Paul Pioneer Press doesn't have a Kluwe, when it comes to marriage equality.

16

Oakland's Chief of Police never saw tons of email regarding police brutality at Occupy Oakland and other incidents because he has had a number of related terms in auto-delete filters since October 27, 2011 that caught them all, including messages from a Federal monitor. Oakland PD is also facing federal takeover, an unprecedented move in the US.

16

"North Korea says it's proud of its human rights record" [No, not The Onion]

16

Another rightie is a chronic case of "Do as I say, not as I do?" It's not even funny any more, just predictable.

5

Good night, sweet NYANYANYANYANYA~~~

7

Found near Field Marshal Montgomery's former headquarters - About that...

17

Now don't be drinking anything when you click this.

9

A boy charged with shooting his violently abusive white supremacist father to death may have believed he'd get away with it because he watched a crime drama where a father-killing boy avoided jail because it was justified because of beatings.

30

People who have spent the last 4 years questioning Obama's birthplace, urged to vote for somebody who obviously wasn't born in the USA.

8

Journalists kidnap and threaten to kill a (female) journalist. As a practical joke. There are no words...

15

Bloomberg backs Obama, slams Romney. Booyakkahsa.

10

That, or maybe God has a weird sense of humour.

12

Sandy wasn't the fault of the homosexuals, it was that damn "Innocence of Muslims" that brought Allah's wrath down on America.

22

When facts hit you in the face, just throw the report away.

20

David Coppedge loses his case against JPL.

20

The easiest way to get Mitt to strip away his robotic persona? Talk to him about LDS. Holy fuck.

10

Measurements retroactively force photons to be both wave and particle.

12

Will it take an airliner being destroyed to put an end to the chemtrail myth? Violence threats against "chemtrail pilots" get noticed.

8

Trick or treat? TREAT! Trick.

10

Where will it stop? After the talking Beluga whale we now have a Korean-speaking elephant.

11

Guy sues church after the crucifix that he prayed to in order to "heal" his wife's cancer falls on his leg, requiring amputation. Now, the real question: do you want him to win, or lose?