RationalWiki:What is going on in the world?/October 2011

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October 2011[edit]

16

UNESCO accepts Palestine into its ranks, US goes into crybaby mode.

6

In the state that brought you Silicon Valley, science teaching gets an F.

6

In true powerful male style, Herman Cain appears to be a sex-pest.

20

Following countless failed predictions Harold Camping finally admits that he's full of shit.

13

Former denier now denies denialism

5

I, for one, welcome our new Lego overlords.

5

God botherers @ St Paul's know which side their bread's buttered

6

In a possible sign of things to come, Ireland has elected its first Labour President in over 20 years.

10

What's the equivalent of you finding 20 bucks in your old backpack for a state? Finding 78 billion dollars in a bad bank. That's it, we're all moving to fucking Germany.

26

Faux News either really, really hate Obama, or they have no clue about statistics.

12

The succession laws for the United Kingdom's Royal Family finally enter the 21st 20th century.

6

Science says: BE TROLLDAD.

7

The Onion channels Paul Krugman for Halloween trolling. Krugman's response: "In the long run we are undead and all that."

9

Joe da Plumber gets ambitious.

24

Fail of the Week: Remember the recent spate of high-profile right-wing, homophobic toe-tappers and Rentboy.com renters? Remember how some people marveled that conservative women weren't getting caught in similar situations? Meet Linda Wall, right-wing independent (because the GOP is too pinko commie for her tastes) candidate for the 59th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. In 2006, Ms. Wall reluctantly admitted to having a lesbian affair with a student while teaching P.E. at a junior high school. (In her deposition, she gave an incorrect name for the school). If it was the local junior high, we're talking about 13 to 15 year olds. If it's the local middle school, we're talking 11 to 13 year olds. Oh, and she also claims to be ex-gay.

7

There goes another rhino species.

17

An Occupy Oakland protester, a veteran who survived two tours of Iraq, could now die after being hit in the head by a police projectile.

8

More No Shit Sherlock, this time coming from Hillary Clinton.

6

Toronto's mayor is Fat Bastard in the literal sense of the term.

8

If the Supreme Court uses the Fred Phelps card on this one...

10

Yes, oh Legohead, BUILD MORE PRISONS!

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5MC Hammer is creating his own search engine -- named WireDoo! No, seriously!

4

Capitalizing off OWS has already begun.

7

Oh my god! They killed investigated Kenny! Well guess what, you bastards! Tom Cruise is still in the closet!

10

Americans seem to have a really weird case of Stockholm syndrome.

7

Zimbabwean man claims prostitute turned to donkey. You know, as you do...

13

As the "Occupy" protests extend to London, a Taxpayers Alliance spokesman proves that the organisation really isn't there to represent actual taxpayers and gets smacked down with some fact by Polly Toynbee.

5

Alleged medium James Van Praagh doesn't talk to the dead - even when a horde of undead from the JREFvturn up on his doorstep.

3

So Anonymous launched an attack on 4Chan then?

6

US gas-guzzlers can't use their "oh, China does it too" excuse anymore.

7

The Herschel telescope spots a cloud of water vapour orbiting a star - a strong indication that Earth-like planets covered in water may be quite common.

6

Shakespeare authorship is explored in a new fictional film. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust decides to throw the toys out of the pram and protest over such an audacious act.

6

How 9/11 ruined the Mile High Club.

6

John McCarthy dies.

8

Pat Robertson is the voice of reason.

9

Now you can play with your holographic balls.

12

Canada planning its own Guantanamo?

14

Demand is increasing for the production of in vitro meat.

14

And that's just great: Wikileaks is slowly dying. Now we have two important websites to try and continue funding.

9

If you thought Time-Warner was bad before...

13

Libya is liberated and is now the land of the free and happy and totally peachy... or not, as you can get summarily executed for being on the wrong side.

7

From the Department of No Shit Sherlock, comprehensive statistics reveal that looters in the UK summer riots were poor, young and less educated.

10

Who's the dumbest regulator in the whole world? You are! Yes you are!

7

Tories apparently enjoy pilots dying in the Arctic.

12

Is there anything more depressing than someone with lung cancer saying "...some drugs I couldn't afford, so I gave them up."

2

Steven Segal hunts down "The Foreigner

7

First Steve Jobs' woo-meisting, now his 180 degree turn on progressive beliefs and sudden fear of (almost nonexistent) unions. What the hell happened to him in his final days?

8

Andrea Rossi's proposed cold fusion device to be demonstrated on the 28th! Gosh, I wonder if it'll work.

10

Herman Cain comes out as pro-choice. Wing-nuts have kittens. Seems he has a few more problems with the Right too.

11

Clarence Thomas: Oh? You mean I had to declare my wife's income?

7

I've seen enough hentai to know whe-wait, what the...

13

The story of how humans came to North America is unsettled by new evidence.

6

Teacher under investigation for swearing on social media sites. Head teacher's response: We encourage teachers not to use Twitter, because it's always taken out of context by twats trying to sell newspapers.

15

Harold Camping is wrong again. His revised prediction of an October 21 apocalypse was disproved as the day began on October 22, perfectly normally, in some far-east territories such as Japan. More lulz to come once Camping's new new new prediction comes out soon. UPDATE: No new prediction, just a request for more money.

4

Mobile phones and health - good news and, er, well, ewww.

10

About time, Rupie.

7

A soldier burns a set of Papa Bear's books sent out to his outpost in Afghanistan, here is Dr. Rev. Stephen T. Colbert, DFA's response.

3

Penguins are human too!

21

WTF of the Day: Another independent study confirms man-made climate change, as expected. But here's the kicker - they're funded by the Koch brothers.

21

We are the 53 percent and we have bad photoshop skills.

12

Newt Gingrich says no-one without Faith should be trusted with power in Presidential debate (but then again, it's Newt Gingrich).

32

Gaddafi is reportedly dead - Now confirmed.

5

Fox News is getting frisky.

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5The Wall Street Journal makes it official: Worldwide, all households with a net worth of at least $1 million (US) make up "less than 1 percent" of the world's population, while controlling about 38.5 percent of the world's wealth (about $89 trillion). (BTW, that "less than 1 percent" claim could be called an "inverse exaggeration." Actually, at 29.7 million people worldwide, the wealthy make up about 0.424 percent-- i.e., less than one-half of one percent -- of the world's population.)

13

What historians do on their spare time.

16

GOPers like Eric Cantor on the Occupy Wall Street movement: "Now is not the time to pit Americans against Americans." Interesting perspective considering the millions of Americans they want to pit Republican voters against.

6

Government transparency? What's that?

9

Hey South Korea, stop being computer nerds.

0

If you're on the autistic spectrum, you're much more likely to identify as atheist or agnostic.

21

Spock makes the logical choice.

7

Now here's something you don't see everyday: Members of the 1% are now supporting the Wall Street protesters online, apparently.

17

A bishop is finally indicted for covering up priest's child abuse. About fucking time.

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9After years of pure bullshit from Goldman Sachs, it seems they finally produced at least one good guy.
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16Rick Perry's mindless zombies try and trim all references to climate change from a scientific report on Galveston Bay. The scientists who authored it say, "Fuck you! Take our names off it!"
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12An interview with Sir Terry Pratchett.

10

Renaming your party to Forza Italia? No, too boring. How about Forza Pussy? Hell, Mussolini's granddaughter likes it too! (and please don't read his Thatcher comment, we beg of you).

10

An Amish with a 'tude? You know that's unheard of.

3

American and British political hacks unite!

23

A collection of OWS protest signs. See #22 and 48. Update: Check this one out.

16

And after eight years of "Mission Accomplished," Iraq is finally deemed royally fucked.

16

Denmark retains its position as the happiest country on Earth NO WAIT. THeyre socialists. Gummint is da problem. Donnt liten to therm!

16

Occupy Wall Street has become larger than anybody expected - Rome is on fire. Update: Hello Silvio.

12

Bachmann: "I'm going to tax the rich!" Only because she hasn't done her homework... again.

13

Apparently Massachusetts likes Romneycare very much, and he's now using it as a campaign platform.

6

The best way to fight conservative hysteria on public broadcasting will always be satire.

9

Couple has sex while skydiving, upsets the FAA.

9

Another person with logic, but yet again it's coming from the wrong central bank.

1

Steve Jobs shunned modern medicine and instead relied on special diets.

17

Don't like reality? Well, on Rick Parry Perry's watch, you can censor clear scientific evidence on climate change.

6

President Obama sends in 100 soldiers to combat the Lord's Resistance Army

11

Topeka, Kansas, decriminalizes domestic violence.

12

Dawkins: ""How can it possibly help to postulate a divine intelligence to explain something complicated like the origin of existence?" O'Reilly: "Here's how it can help. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, or Buddha, or someone like that who wants people to be peaceful and to love each other, that is a good thing." Dawkins: "Yeah but what's that got to do with the origin of the moon?" O'Reilly: "Well, Stalin was an atheist! Na-na-nana-na!"

12

Faster-than-light neutrinos: Might be solved. - You know that thing we have to do with satellites to adjust their clocks? Yeah, apparently that. Just don't tell Jim Al-Khalili though.

5

BANNED! Streaking through the Olympics - unless you're NOT violating advertiser's exclusivity rights, then that's okay.

5

"Let's show a strong hand to Iran's atrocious actions by obliterating them with bombs since we're peaceful like that" "No."

7

Reuters is obviously rolling in Soros Bucks. Because every "anti-capitalist" movement needs to be funded by an anti-communist billionaire.

9

Dennis Ritchie dies aged 70

21

You won't see an article like this in the United States. (and in a moderate newspaper!) Update: And another.

13

Frank Kameny, one of the fathers of the modern gay rights movement has passed away.

9

U.S. authorities have charged high-ranking members of Iran's Quds Force branch of the armed forces of attempting to hire members Mexican drug cartel (actually DEA agents) to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, D.C. This is the only thing anyone should be talking about.

10

Humanists and atheists are looking for a greater global impact starting with Switzerland.

17

Glenn Beck on the "Occupy Wall Street" protestors "Marxist radicals:" Capitalists, "they will come for you and drag you into the streets and kill you...they'll kill everybody."

4

Think all those vitamins you take are doing you well? Think again...

10

God didn't make man; man made gods.

16

Fact-checking Occupy Wall Street claims: all correct so far. But no, no, it's all socialist drivel, don't listen to those commies.

9

And more Afghan torture is confirmed. Fuck off, Senator!

19

Orthodox Jews just aren't Orthodox enough for some; girls attending school in long sleeved shirts and ankle length skirts (ooh, sexy...) suffer a barrage of protests, which include hurling abuse, eggs and feces. (ooh, double sexy...)

12

Facebook decides to keep a controversial rape joke fan page - victory for freedom of expression or displaying too much tolerance of unacceptable humour?

14

Right-wingers infiltrate "Occupy Wall Street" in order to discredit it.

6

First the resigning of the PATRIOT Act, and now this. To that we say, Mr. President...

14

Herman Cain is a fucking idiot.

12

Values Voter organizer accuses Paulbots of stuffing the ballot boxes. Should we be surprised at all?

7

Medical research just got trippy again.

1

Um, Iraq we're propping up your regime for what reason?

6

Someone chose the wrong (or right?) attire for the Values Voters Summit

5

You know The Simpsons' recent budget dispute? Harry Shearer, who voices the good old Mr. Burns, offered to take a 70% pay cut to help save the show, yet Rupert Murdoch still gave him the finger.

8

Good news for Canadians worried about Harper: 6/10 provinces are now run by center-left governments, including in Alberta, where Red Tory yeah, we don't believe it too Alison Redford is now premier-designate (and it could be seven with the NDP and British Columbia in the coming months).

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8Louisiana politicians cancel the lieutenant-governor and goober gubernatorial debates. Apparently, Jindal doesn't even feel the need to address his opponents.

10

The latest Ig Nobel awards celebrate research into, amongst others, yawning in tortoises, the wasabi alarm, and why we sigh.

9

Nobel Peace Prize 2011 honours women, democracy in Africa and the Arab Spring.

14

It's official, Mitt Romney may be less sane than Michelle Bachmann. Taking gunboat diplomacy to a freakish new level (is the "American Century" comment even enough to break Godwin's Law?)

13

100 years after killing half the Hereros, Germany sends a bag of skulls to Windhoek with a sorry note.

11

Jon Stewart pulls out all the stops once again on the New York protests.

8

Jumping fish and the evolutionary process.

14

"It now appears that on top of all of the other potentially catastrophic, costly, damaging, or dangerous impacts of human-caused climate change, there is a very serious risk that it will threaten the production of chocolate."

8

The humble rainbow just got a little bit more interesting as the "fourth" bow is photographed for the first time.

18

Theresa May: "A judge admitted an illegal immigrant because he had a pet cat. I'm not making this up!" Judge: "Yes you are."

8

Schectman wins the Nobel for discovery of quasicrystals.

25

Steve Jobs dead. Apple's memorial.

11

Sarah Palin not running for President, you betcha

7

Tony Blair is of 'no use at all' says Palestinian leadership. Tell us something new!

8

Poverty-stricken Muppet to appear on Sesame Street. We can hear the wingnuts coming a mile away.

11

Canada's National Post runs an anti-gay and anti-transgender advert telling people not to confuse little girls by making them think they're little boys. UPDATE: They (sort of) apologize.

13

And that's the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, all the children are above average, and all the CEOs are horribly over compensated.

7

Are you ready for some footballGodwin?!

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4So how do you translate "Bend over and grab your ankles" from Chinese to Zulu?

6

An "unprecedented" ozone hole pops up in the Arctic, right at the same time the Harper Tories plan to make massive cuts to Environment Canada.

9

To show that every religion has its wacko nuts...

20

Oh dear; a homeopathy seller shuts down: Due to the implementation of the European Union Traditional Medical Directive on 1st May 2011, GoHerbal (Guernsey) Ltd has ceased trading.

1

There's nothing like opening day: the first Monday in October. A time to sneak out of work and watch the local nine -- as they reinterpret our rights (you thought I was talking about baseball?)

13

Here's an even better reason to permit Palestinian statehood: The Ayatollah hates it on the fact that a two-state solution will allow the continuing existence of Israel.

9

Rick Perry's private hunting camp has an...interesting name.

17

The US is winning the future in science... as the Tevatron shuts down due to lack of funds. (Number crunching: Requested annual funding to keep the Tevatron operational for three years: million, or about $56 million American. Estimated daily cost of the war in Iraq: $400 million.)