Category: Other News

12

In Case You Missed It…Assorted Oddities from Around the Web

Here is your weekly roundup of the strange, weird, and sometimes flat out odd from around the Web.

1

Finally… Virtual Reality is Coming to a Head Near You

This week’s Games Developers Conference in San Francisco saw the introduction of the Oculus Rift DK2, a second-generation developers’ kit for a virtual reality headset

28

Westboro Baptist Preacher Fred Phelps is Dead and the Anti-Gay Movement is Dying

Fred Phelps is now dead, and the anti-gay crusade he was an integral part, of is dying as well, as gay rights continue to expand in the US.

44

Infamous Westboro Baptist Preacher Fred Phelps is Reportedly On His Deathbed

Fred Phelps, Sr., the notorious preacher and founder of Westboro Baptist Church is in hospice care in Shawnee County Kansas.

4

I, for One, Welcome Our New Drone Overlords

The application of drone technology is evolving, as it moves from the realm of hobbyists and into the commercial world.

5

The Internet Is a Cesspool and You’re the Victim

The Internet a very special – and fragile – resource, and at some point humans will “consume” 100 percent of its capacity

64

Creationists Attack Neil deGrasse Tyson for Blind Faith in Science

Cosmos, “will attempt to package unconditional blind faith in evolution as scientific literacy in an effort to create interest in science”

9

Silence, a PR Firm, and Lawyering Up Following Sarah Jones’ Tragic On-Set Death

Weeks after camera assistant Sarah Jones’ death on the set of the Gregg Allman biopic, “Midnight Rider”, many in charge have resorted to silence, the services of a PR firm, and lawyering up.

2

Voters say Republican Governor Sam Brownback is ‘What’s the Matter with Kansas’

A new PPP poll finds that voters disapprove of Sam Brownback’s job performance. He trails Democrat Paul Davis in his bid for re-election.

22

Reality Bites Pentecostal Snake Handler

Apparently, a better name for reality TV series Snake Salvation would have been When Faith Meets Reality (You Will Hear a Loud Smack). Pentecostal preacher and host Jamie Coots of Tennessee, believed that poisonous snakes could not harm him because he was anointed by God. The Bible, he believed, said so (Mark 15:16-17). I speak…

45

Christians Might Be Surprised to Find That Not God, But Men, Decided What They Would Believe

Anyone paying attention to the rhetoric coming out of the Religious Right will be aware that the theocrats position themselves as the defenders of truth and tradition. Change, they say, is bad, and not only bad, but evil and that the people motivating this change, from Barack Obama on down, are moved by demons and…

17

House Republicans Seek to Ruthlessly Gut the Endangered Species Act

Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Doc Hastings (R-WA) are spearheading an effort in the US House to try to weaken the Endangered Species Act.

34

Gay Marriage Scares Oklahoma Rep So Much He Proposes Banning All Marriages

Republican lawmaker Mike Turner is floating the idea of making marriage illegal in the state of Oklahoma.

61

Buddhist Student Told to Change his Religion if he Doesn’t Want to be Taught Creationism in School

The Louisiana teacher’s logic is that “if evolution was real, it would still be happening: Apes would be turning into humans today.”

13

Regime Change in Virginia: New Attorney General Seeks to Overturn Gay Marriage Ban

AG Herring says Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, and he has filed a legal brief asking a federal court to end it.

34

Reefer Madness: Chris Matthews Joins Chorus of Beltway Blowhards Scared of Weed

On Hardball, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews joined the growing chorus of Beltway pundits who are terrified of the potential consequences of legal marijuana. Taking aim at President Obama’s statement that marijuana is “no more dangerous than alcohol, Matthews lamented: But the fact is I don’t think he’s right on this one because I think people…

4

Houston Mayor Annise Parker Travels to California to Marry Her Longtime Partner

Houston Mayor Annise Parker married her 23-year partner Kathy Hubbard, Thursday evening in a private ceremony in Palm Springs, California. The two women chose the 23rd anniversary of their relationship together as the wedding date. Reverend Paul Fromberg, rector of St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco, and a former rector for Houston’s St….

21

NFL Wife Carelessly Forgets AR-15 Rifle, Leaves it Behind in Rental SUV

Lauren Tannehill, the wife of Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, left behind an AR-15 rifle in the back seat of a Nissan Rouge.

14

North Carolina GOP Senate Candidate: Food Stamp ‘Goodies’ Enslave Recipients

Republican US Senate candidate Greg Brannon wants to abolish the Department of Agriculture because he thinks food stamps are slavery.

16

Wealthy GOP Candidate For Illinois Governor Wants To Cut The State’s Minimum Wage

The leading Republican candidate for Governor in Illinois, multi-millionaire Bruce Rauner, thinks the state’s minimum wage is too high.

28

Smoking Gun: Christie Aides Implicated in Retaliatory Bridge Closure

Documents released today implicate some of Chris Christie’s top aides in the lane closures that created a traffic nightmare last September.

27

Judge Sticks It to Rick Scott By Ruling Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients Unconstitutional

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven struck down a 2011 Florida law requiring welfare applicants to undergo drug tests.

9

Happy New Year: Minimum Wage Workers in 13 States Will Get Automatic Pay Raise

Minimum wage workers in over a dozen US states have something to celebrate as they ring in the new year — a pay raise.

35

A&E Says We Must be Tolerant of Hate But Not of Gays, Gives Robertson his Job Back

By caving in to hate groups A&E has sent a clear message that haters are to be tolerated, but not those who are the victims of that hate.

How 2013 Gave Democrats a Blueprint to Retake the House

For Democrats to retake the House in 2013, they need to embrace key issues that they support and that are also supported by the American people.

11

Pope’s Christmas Atheist Outreach Invokes Religious Right Fears of One World Religion

I have been reading with interest various responses to the Pope’s Christmas outreach to atheists. Watch courtesy of NBC News: Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy As described by Rueters, “Peace is a daily commitment. It is a homemade peace,” he said. He said that people of other religions…

37

The Religious Right Ought to Thank A&E for Suppressing a Heretic

The Religious Right gets the Bible – and Jesus – wrong again and claims Jesus would defend Phil Robertson’s right to put words in his mouth

7

State Democratic Chair Weds his Partner as Dozens of Gay Couples Marry in Utah

In Salt Lake City, Utah State Senator and State Democratic party chair, Jim Dabakis marries his long time partner.

39

The Religious Right Champions Moral Relativism in Defense of Phil Robertson

All this fuss about Phil Robertson comes down to the Religious Right’s insistence that they have a right to say nobody else has rights

0

The Pope Calls Failed Christians Pagans – He is Wrong and This is Why

For the Pope, humility-challenged Christians are Pagans but it was the Church that found Jesus’ poverty and humility too radical to tolerate

24

Duck Dynasty Star’s Anti-Gay Bigotry Gets Him Suspended

Phil Robertson told GQ God only wants men who like vaginas in heaven because, apparently, for God, as for Robertson, a vagina is more desirable than an anus?

19

President Obama’s Big Gay Message to Vladimir Putin’s Sochi Olympics

It is difficult not to think back to Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and what his triumph said about Adolf Hitler’s racial conceits. Perhaps, in 2014, we can send the same message to Vladimir Putin about his gender identity conceits

22

Now Donald Trump Thinks He Might Want to be New York’s Governor

Billionaire Donald Trump is apparently mulling a run for New York Governor against incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo.

19

Russian TV Star Wants to Throw Gays into Ovens – ALIVE

“I’d put them all alive in the oven,” Okhlobystin told his fans. “It’s a living danger to my children.”

16

George Zimmerman Walks Again as Prosecutors Drop Charges

Prosecutors have decided not to press charges against George Zimmerman, citing a lack of cooperation from his girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe.

19

A Tale of Two Heroes: How Nelson Mandela Was Truly the Anti-Reagan

Nelson Mandela was everything that Ronald Reagan wasn’t. For Conservatives today, that simply means that Mandela was clearly in the wrong.

17

GOP House Decides 2nd Amendment Has Limits, Approves Gun Control Measure

Second Amendment absolutists might be disappointed today upon discovering that the Republican controlled US House approved an extension of a gun ban.

22

Taking Notes: How Black Friday Marketing Techniques Can Sell the ACA

How do we convince a generation of millennials that they need health insurance rather than TVs? Simple: By engaging in marketing 101.

12

Vindictive, Homeless Hating, Sledgehammer Wielding Lawmaker Needs to Go

Tom Brower, a five term Democratic State Representative in Hawaii, has launched a personal crusade against the homeless in his district. He is crusading against the homeless, not against homelessness.

18

Dearborn Heights Man Faces Murder Charges in Shooting Death of Renisha McBride

The man who shot Renisha McBride has been slapped with a 2nd degree murder charge from Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. 54-year old Theodore Wafer is expected to be arraigned today at 2 PM for his role in the shooting death of McBride.

0

Are We Safe From Congress? Senator Orrin Hatch And The Politics Of Vitamins

The Senior Senator from Utah is endangering lives by putting his personal gain before the public’s health.

14

Suburban Detroit Area Shooting of African-American Woman Leaves Unanswered Questions

A 19-year old woman was killed on Saturday morning by a Dearborn Heights resident when she sought help after she was involved in a car crash.

19

The Body’s Impolitic (Again): Why Is Jesse Ventura Running For President?

Former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura is back in the headlines. He plans to run for President in 2016, if Howard Stern would be his running mate.

13

Son of Slain WI Sikh Temple President Plans to Run Against Paul Ryan

Democrat Amar Kaleka, cites failed GOP leadership and a need for stricter gun laws, in his bid to unseat Paul Ryan.

16

Poll of Congressional Races Shows That Michigan Has Grown Weary of Republicans

The latest PPP poll on Congressional races reveals that the Republican Party has fallen into serious disfavor in the state of Michigan.

47

Republican Voters Now See Ted Cruz as Their Leader

Mitch McConnell and John Boehner have lost control of the Republican Party and handed its future to hardcore ideologues like Texas Senator Ted Cruz..

13

GOP Congressman Says Illegal Immigrants Have Killed More People than Multiple 9/11s

Steve King’s vicious racism and xenophobia is a far greater threat to our nation’s safety and security than are the immigrants he is so fond of attacking.

9

Unlawfully Discharging a Gun Should be Prosecuted More Vigorously

Failure to treat gun offenses with the seriousness they deserve only ensures that more Aaron Alexis’ will eventually turn their permit licenses into licenses to kill.

25

Koran Burning Pastor Terry Jones Arrested on Felony Charge in Florida

Anti-Muslim pastor Terry Jones was arrested by Polk County Sheriff’s deputies for unlawful conveyance of fuel on Wednesday.

19

Detroit Area Burger Joint to Boost Starting Wage to 15 Dollars an Hour

A Detroit area fast food restaurant, Moo Cluck Moo, is reportedly planning to raise worker pay to fifteen dollars an hour beginning October 1st.

28

The GOP’s ‘Handguns in Yellowstone’ Amendment Claims a 3-Year Old Victim

Had guns not been allowed in Yellowstone, a three year-old girl might not have been able to shoot herself in the park this weekend.

16

When it Comes to Fighting Wildfires ‘Big Government’ Works

The government is better equipped than private industry for large scale cooperative projects that serve the public interest such as suppressing major wildfires.

10

Obama’s Decision to Get Congressional Approval Gives Sanity a Chance

War should be a matter for sober reflection, not knee-jerk reactions, and the president should be praised for opening the matter up to debate

10

Where Syria is Concerned Let’s not Become a Global George Zimmerman

It is not hard to know what to think about the U.S. attacking Syria. That’s wrong. And it’s wrong for a number of reasons

16

Hundreds in Billings Montana Turn Out To Protest ‘Pity the Rapist’ Judge Baugh

Yesterday many residents of Billings Montana stood up and rejected the rape culture that has become all too familiar in our communities.

10

Joseph Farah Shows No Fact Safe When Standing Between Him and a Dollar

Let’s face it: no fact stands a chance when it gets in the way of a fundamentalist Christian and a dollar.

47

Judge Gives Rapist Just 30 Days Saying 14-Year Old Was ‘Older Than Her Chronological Age’

A MT judge gave a rapist little jail time, stating that his teen victim was “as much in control of the situation” as the middle-aged teacher who raped her.

11

‘Sovereign Citizen’ Extremists Arrested in Las Vegas for Plotting to Execute Cops

Two members of the “sovereign citizen’s” movement were arrested in Las Vegas Tuesday night following an investigation that revealed they planned to execute cops.

9

Chris Christie Signs Ban on Gay Conversion Therapy for Minors

By signing ban on gay conversion therapy for minors, Governor Chris Christie moves further from the lunatic Republican base

29

Republican Congressman Miserably Fails At Minimum Wage Math

Republicans are breaking out some ridiculous arguments against raising the minimum wage, but nothing is quite as absurd as Rep. Markwayne Mullin’s distortion of minimum wage math.

62

Film Evolution vs. God Turns Bible into Science and Science into Faith

Religious conservatives need to believe so badly they shell out money for a film that has, as a central message, “beware of blind faith.”

25

Coach Dave Daubenmire Says He’s Sick And Tired Of Being Sodomized By The Left

For Coach Dave, sodomy would be the person he is trying to sodomize having the temerity to say no, to fight off his unwanted advances

32

Pamela Geller Makes Herself the Victim in the Reza Aslan Controversy

Muslim baiter Geller is affronted that anyone defends scholar Reza Aslan for writing a book about Jesus yet not defend her for hating Muslims

50

Republicans Want to Seize a Mosque, So Let’s Start Seizing Churches

Republican opponents of the Murfreesboro, TN mosque have upped the ante while sinking to a new low, and want the government to seize the mosque

11

Glenn Beck Attacks Reza Aslan While Sister Pacatte Shows Him Civility

It is possible for a Muslim to write a book about Jesus and yes, it is possible to conduct a civil interview – if you’re not Glenn Beck

14

Catholic League Calls Marriage Equality One of the Most Bizarre Ideas in History

Catholic League president Bill Donohue believes some pretty far-out things himself and he may not be the one to talk about bizarre

0

Religious Scholar’s Book About the Historical Jesus Exposes Fox News’ Biases

From the moment these words leave Green’s lips, “You’re a Muslim. So why did you write a book about the founder of Christianity?” the interview is all downhill.

3

Pope Francis the Hipster and What He Means for America’s Culture Wars

You have to wonder at what point Pope Francis will have pulled the rug out from beneath America’s Catholic and Evangelical clergy.

15

Alabama Commission Prays Away Gay Marriage – at Meeting About Power Rates

The Alabama Public Service Commission started a meeting about power rate structures with a prayer against Marriage Equality.

7

Detroit is the New Conservative Wet Dream

With entire swaths of Detroit uninhabited, some white knights are swooping in and buying up empty lots, parking lots and buildings both big and small.

45

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus Says the Republican Party is a Religion

Priebus says what ultimately matters…is that “we’re salt and light in the world and that we’re honoring God in the things that we do every day.”

0

Things Thomas Jefferson Never Said About Gun Control

Conservatives love to invent quotes to back up their positions and they hate it when somebody – including “communist” CNN – corrects them

47

Virginia GOP’s Would-Be Governor Would Ban Sodomy Between Married Couples

Ken Cuccinelli says his anti-sodomy law protects children from predators but it bans sodomy between consenting adults

26

Misplaced Anger: How Americans Today Respond to Their Hearts and Not Their Heads

As terrible as the verdict is, what’s even more disheartening is how Americans in 2013 buy into the media narratives and engage in what we will call “selective anger”.

20

Fundamentalists Want to Drive Your Womb Like a Clown Car

Get breeding ladies. There’s lots of great catches like Fischer and Deace lining up to drive your womb like a clown car.

14

Confused Pastor Calls for Civil Rights Movement to Deprive Gays and Lesbians of Civil Rights

William Owens’ anti-gay crusade is not about championing civil rights; therefore there can be no valid comparison of the two.

11

Your Private Information is Less Safe than Ever – And it was Never Safe

Governments have been spying on their citizens since the dawn of time. They’re just better at it now than ever before

23

Religious Right Resorts to Schoolyard Tactic of Calling Obama Gay

Religious right homophobes seem to engage in an awful lot of projection as they call gays and lesbians pedophiles and Obama gay

1

Real Independence Would be a Government That Worked

Let’s remember to celebrate our declaration of independence, a political act whose primary intent was to achieve a government that worked.

65

Rick Perry Says Democracy Will No Longer Be Tolerated in Texas

Rick Perry denigrated the democratic process by calling it “anarchy” and “mob rule.”

22

Rick Perry Takes A Very Personal Cheap Shot at Wendy Davis

Rick Perry takes it very personally what choices Wendy Davis and her mother have made and demands that all women make the same choices.

6

Once Upon Today: Two NSA Defectors Head for Russia

For those who shocked by Edward Snowden’s flight to Russia, he’s following a path set by William Martin and Bernon Mitchell … once upon today.

19

Obama Attacks Get Absurd as the President Is Called a Wussy Gay Drag Queen

Internet TV show host Stan Solomon indulges in fantasies of a cross-dressing, feminist-dominated Barack Obama

23

The GOP Dream: An America Like Heaven that is For Christians Only

According to Republicans, if liberals would stop saying no to fundamentalists, we could have the America Jesus intended when he wrote the Constitution!

25

Republicans Unveil Stop Hillary 2016

The best way to stop Hillary would be for Republicans to stop their obstructionism and help solve our problems . They’d rather tell lies

8

The GOP’s Screw the Economy and Let’s Screw Women Policies

Republicans complain about government interference in our lives, all the while trying to turn America into one of the most repressive countries on earth.

0

Traditional Family Values Christians Throw Family Hating Jesus Under the Bus

For the sake of the very modern concept of “family values” it is essential that people not listen to Jesus and put their family second, after the Kingdom of God.

13

E.W. Jackson Whines That Religious Tests Only Apply to People He Doesn’t Like

Virginia’s GOP nominee for lieutenant governor feels he can say whatever he wants and you have absolutely no right to talk about it

16

Marco Rubio’s Epic Fail as the Aspiring Hero of 2016

Making Rubio the face of immigration reform has backfired and he has become a target of ridicule, all of it due to his having no discernible ability to articulate his politics and beliefs.

63

How Christian Myth Overinflates the Religious Right’s Sense of Self Importance

The Fundamentalist Christian sense of self-importance paradoxically makes them essential to civilization, which existed long before the Bible

0

What are ‘Liberals,’ What are ‘Progressives,’ and Why the Difference Matters

Not all liberals are progressive, and not all progressives are liberal. And when we discuss politics, we must recognize and respect our differences.

50

Rand Paul Claims Liberal Elites Want to Exterminate Christians

“There is a war on Christianity,” he said, well ahead of the Christmas season. “Not just from liberal elites here at home, but worldwide.”

22

Michele Bachmann Warns Immigration Bill Puts Republic at Stake

Bachmann says, ‘We will not successfully pass the torch of liberty if we have perpetual amnesty. It won’t happen.’

19

Ann Coulter Tells Hannity He is Like a Liberal Making a Silly Argument

Ann Coulter didn’t stop with Hannity but called Marco Rubio the Jack Kervorkian of the Republican Party

0

Glenn Beck Blames Occupy Wall Street on Worship of Baal and Moloch

Glenn Beck has convinced himself that worship of Baal and Moloch led to Occupy Wall Street that he wrote a novel to prove it

14

Yoga Joins The List of Things That Republicans Find Demonic

According to Republicans, Satan fills the emptiness yoga creates, allowing Satan into your soul

10

Flo Wants to Know: Progressive Insurance Is Wiretapping Our Cars

Not sure whether to call it a social experiment, a marketing gimmick, or just plain scary. Granted it is voluntary – at least so far – but Progressive is wiretapping our cars.

18

Rand Paul Represents the GOP Vision of an America That Was Never Meant to Be

Paul’s vision of America has nothing to do with the United States Constitution and democracy and everything to do with the Bible and theocracy

14

A Sick Child, Transplant Lists, and the ‘Death Panel’ Lie that Won’t Die

Republicans are using a desperately ill 10-year-old child as a prop in a political campaign to smear Obamacare.

0

GOP Rep. Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma Calls Obama Unfit and Biden Embarrassing

On Monday, Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), forgot not only President Bush but his fellow ethically-challenged House Republicans, and excoriated President Barack Obama from the House floor.