Category Archives: In the news

Boom Goes the Dynamite

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Jeff Fecke

Humans are everywhere on this planet. We have cities on six continents and outposts on a seventh. We live from the frozen depths of Antarctica and Siberia to the damp, sticky tropics to the middle the desert — and everywhere … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental issues, In the news, International issues | 3 Comments

82% of Fake TV Show Contestents are Willing To Commit Torture

Posted on April 7, 2010 by Ampersand

The CBC reports on a French documentary, recreating the famous Milgram experiment as reality TV: The fake game show, called Le jeu de la mort (The Game of Death), features a glamorous hostess and a studio audience who eggs contestants … Continue reading →

Posted in In the news | 25 Comments

Anger Needs a Voice

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

Apologies for posting twice in one day, but I saw this image and couldn’t resist. Unfortunately, I have not had the time to stay as current as I would like on the Pope’s alleged complicity, when he was a cardinal, … Continue reading →

Posted in In the news, Rape, intimate violence, & related issues | 51 Comments

Online Poll Proves That Those With Strong Views More Likely To Answer Online Poll

Posted on March 27, 2010 by Ampersand

This post on Open Left has lots of tables and stuff showing that over 50% of Republicans believe Obama is a socialist Muslim who “wants to turn over the sovereignty of the United States to a one world government,” blah … Continue reading →

Posted in In the news | 10 Comments

Feminism, Abortion Rights and Health Care Reform

Posted on March 21, 2010 by Ampersand

[UPDATE: It seems the rumors were accurate — TPM is reporting that Stupak will vote yes, in exchange for the White House affirming that the Hyde Amendment still exists. Props to the pro-choicers in the House; not an overwhelming victory, … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion & reproductive rights, Elections and politics, Health Care and Related Issues, In the news | 3 Comments

500 Massacred in Nigeria are Victims of Religious Violence

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

From ABC News: The killers showed no mercy: They didn’t spare women and children, or even a 4-day-old baby, from their machetes. On Monday, Nigerian women wailed in the streets as a dump truck carried dozens of bodies past burned-out … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, In the news, International issues | 14 Comments

Resign, Resign, Resign

Posted on March 2, 2010 by Jeff Fecke

If I lived in New York, I’d be giving serious consideration to voting for the Republican candidate in the next gubernatorial race. Not so much because the Republican’s bound to be a great candidate, but because there’s pretty strong evidence … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections and politics, Feminism, sexism, etc, In the news | 12 Comments

Long Lost Non-Sisters Meet, Discover Astonishing Similarities

Posted on March 1, 2010 by Ampersand

Everyone once in a while I read a news report about long-lost siblings (sometimes twins) who meet for the first time as adults and discover astonishing similarities — they both love languages, they both like wearing denim skirts, and so … Continue reading →

Posted in Families structures, divorce, etc, In the news | 4 Comments

Two Thumbs Up for Roger Ebert

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Jeff Fecke

If you’re ever feeling down about your life, feeling like you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, just ready to give up, take a gander at how Roger Ebert is holding up. The longtime writer and movie critic … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, In the news, Media criticism, Popular (and unpopular) culture | 8 Comments

The Tehran Symphony Orchestra in Geneva and Richard Taruskin's "Common Fallacy"

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

Writing in this past Thursday’s issue of The New York Times (February 4th), Michael Kimmelman compares the European tour on which the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent the Tehran Symphony Orchestra to similar tours on which the former Soviet Union … Continue reading →

Posted in In the news, Iran, Music | Comments Off on The Tehran Symphony Orchestra in Geneva and Richard Taruskin's "Common Fallacy"