The Alas Debate Annex

Post what you want. Self-link if you want. But if you have to apologize to Lord Vader, you’re on your own.

(Photo taken at the G20 protest in London — source).

1. A Plan for 100% Energy from Wind, Water, and Solar by 2050
2. The fantasy of oppressive fat activists
3. Want to go to war? Then show us the money.
4. Medical Vengeance: Interminable Detention for Mental Patients
5. Bi-National Lesbian Couple Can Press US Marriage Claim
6. Cassie really, really, really, really did not like the movie Sucker-Punch. I mean, I know — no one liked it. But Cassie hated it with the heat of a thousand suns.
7. New evidence seems to indicate that file-sharing hasn’t led to less high-quality music being created.
8. Cyndi Lauper, stuck in an airport, entertains fellow passengers by singing “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” into the airline intercom microphone. It must sometimes be really, really cool to be Cyndi Lauper.
9. “Police officers responded to a family’s complaint that their diabetic son may have been in danger from driving without taking his medicine by running him off the road into an interstate highway median and shooting him to death, the family says.” Yipes. The cops claim that he was trying to run them down, but the family says that the cops own videotapes prove that the car wasn’t in motion.
10. Fired by the Mormon Church for having gay friends
11. To Try a New Sword on a Chance Wayfarer: My meaningless atheist life
12. How Not to Respond to Political Bullies: Lessons from the Smithsonian’s Response to the Manufactured Right-Wing Controversy Over Hide/Seek
13. Girl, 4, a U.S. Citizen, Is Deported to Guatemala. Not literally. The authorities and the parents have conflicting stories.
14. Indiana Deputy Prosecutor suggests that Scott Walker should fake an attack or even an assassination against Scott Walker. I don’t suggest that this is typical, and the idiot did lose his job; it’s just kind of funny.
15. “What was the greatest invention of the industrial revolution? Hans Rosling makes the case for the washing machine.” An enjoyable ten minute lecture.
16. Obama is hated by most everyone I know, but he continues to be liked worldwide.
17. How increased use of contractors may be causing more US soldiers to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.
18. Apple Claims That It Owns The Phrase “App Store”
19. Only in New York: “Because of an editing error, an obituary on Sunday and in some copies on Monday about Mel Gussow, a theater critic and reporter for The New York Times, referred incorrectly to the Greenwich Village house next to his that was destroyed in 1970 by explosives belonging to the radical political group the Weathermen. The building was a town house, not a brownstone.” By the way, although he died years ago, Mr. Gussow’s obituary for Elizabeth Taylor was published just this week.
20. Cops are hiding racist policing by coding POC as “white” in the paperwork.
21. Congratulations to Radley Balko on his very well earned new gig.
22. Supreme Court Weighs Rights of Parents Facing Jail Over Child Support – COLORLINES. I hope the Court takes the side of the parents who owe child support.
23. Look at these beautiful drawings of people falling and people catching falling people.
24. Then look at this spectacular cover drawing for an issue of Amazing Spider-Man, by Frank Cho.
25. And finally, look at this Skottie Young “Oz” cover. The expression on the chicken’s face made me literally laugh out loud.
26. I hate climate denialism. I hate mainstream political cartooning. Now I can hate them both on one handy site.
27. Not a link, but just to mention: My favorite new TV show is called “Misfits.” It’s a British superhero show — well, sort of marginally superheroes, maybe — and it has characters who are really amazing assholes, and foul language, and interesting faces, and it’s a lot of fun.