Monthly Archives: February 2012

Minnesota Rabbinical Association Speaks Out on Marriage Amendment

February 12, 2012UncategorizedMinnesota Anti-Marriage Amendment, Minnesota Anti-Marriage AmendmentGreg Laden

The Minnesota Rabbinical Association came out in opposition to a proposed anti-marriage constitutional amendment that is expected to be on the Minnesota ballot this November. The amendment would make it unconstitutional for people to get married under certain conditions, such as if both partners are men or if both partners are women. Orthodox rabbis support the anti-marriage amendment so they did not sign on with the other, nicer Rabbis.

Recently, the Minneapolis City Council sent a statement to the State Legislature, expressing unanimous opposition to the anti-marriage amendment. The state wide organization in charge of the anti-marriage movement in Minnesota issued a statement saying that the city council of Minneapolis is of absolutely no relevance and is made up only of “ambitious politicians.”

The group, Minnesota for Marriage has been running ads all over the state asking people what they think about same sex marriage. Apparently only 60 percent of the people who respond to these ads agree with the organization’s anti-marriage stance.

Whitney Houston has died

February 11, 2012UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

Shockingly, age 48. Reports are vague.

Here’s some info.

Whitney Houston has died

February 11, 2012UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

I believe she was 48 years old, and probably died today, but the cause, location, and other details are unknown. Here are a few details.

Lions!

February 11, 2012UncategorizedCat, lion, Panthera leoGreg Laden

This is a lion:

Click the picture for a larger version of the photograph. Photo by Greg Laden.

And here are selected blog posts about lions and related beasts:

Lion by Greg Laden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Foster Friess: Chicago is “beyond nowhere”

February 11, 2012UncategorizedElection 2012Greg Laden

And he’s discriminated against because he’s rich:

Oh, and Rick Santorum never says anything divisive. Such as.

Obama’s Conspiracy Against Guns

February 11, 2012UncategorizedElection 2012, gun control, GunsGreg Laden

This is Wayne LaPierre of the NRA, the guy who thought up the idea that since Obama is leaving gun owners alone he must be planning to take away all the guns. This is one of the strangest things I’ve seen this election cycle so far:
Continue reading Obama’s Conspiracy Against Guns →

Changing the rep of Fungi one mushroom-based robot thingie-builder at a time

February 10, 2012UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

It’s alive!!!!! And, it’s wallboard.

Watch Mitt Romney Trying To Pretend To Be A Teabagger

February 10, 2012UncategorizedGay marriage, Mitt RomneyGreg Laden

Hey Mitt,you’re too late. Been to P-Town lately? I’m thinking not. It’s that town with the big phallic symbol you go by on your way out to sea in your yacht.

Hat Tip: Right Wing Watch Picking the Low Hanging Fruit during CPAC.

John Rawles on Atheists Talk #154, Sunday February 12, 2012

February 10, 2012UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

“The Matter with Us”

Once we have rejected the spiritual, we are left with the material. That should simplify our lives, right? Not necessarily. As John Rawles book, The Matter with Us: A Materialistic Account of the Human Predicament, notes on its title page:

The bridge of spaceship Earth is deserted; nobody is in charge. Down below, the passengers are fighting amongst themselves, damaging the craft, looting the stores, and squandering the reserves. As a fellow passenger it gives me no pleasure to report what I see. What’s the matter with us that we should behave like this? Surely, we would all prefer that many future generations should continue to enjoy the cruise of a lifetime in safety, comfort and good health; but that seems unlikely. And it was such a beautiful ship.

Of course, the situation isn’t all doom and gloom either. We got ourselves here, and at least for now, we have some choices about where we go next. Join us on Sunday as we talk to John Rawles about how we got where we are and what we can do to make sure the cruise goes on.

Details Here

There is no right to health care (Santorum)

February 10, 2012UncategorizedRick SantorumGreg Laden

Actually, there may not be. Rights are, in part, what we decide as a society and it is not clear that the US has decided that health care is a right. Most civilized countries have, of course. Here’s what Santorum has to say about it: Continue reading There is no right to health care (Santorum) →

Unemployment Compensation Insurance (which you pay for) is A Violation of the Declaration of Independence (which you can’t violate)

February 10, 2012UncategorizedNewt GingrichGreg Laden

So, who would say something as stupid as that? Actually a Professor of History. Who happens to be running for president:

That’s Gingrich speaking at CPAC and brought to us by Right Wing Watch.

Sexually Abnormal Daytime TV Host Is Ruining America

February 10, 2012UncategorizedEllen Degeneres, GLBTA, GLBTAGreg Laden

You know who I’m talking about.

This is Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association. He is correct: Decades ago, homosexuality was considered abhorrent behavior and a violation of the laws of nature but people don’t think that as much any more. But he seems to have problem with that: Continue reading Sexually Abnormal Daytime TV Host Is Ruining America →

Please Join One Million Strong for Women

February 10, 2012UncategorizedFeminismGreg Laden

Click here to put your name on the line to support Dems in the Senate in their efforts to battle the right wing fundie yahoos:

Time and again, our opponents have come after women — women’s rights, women’s health, women’s economic security.

They tried to defund Planned Parenthood through the budget process. They tried to restrict women’s health care through Medicare and Medicaid. This time, they tried to get Komen to cut off support for Planned Parenthood.

Enough is enough. We may have won this latest round, but our opponents aren’t going away. They’re launching endless attacks against women every single day, and we need to rise to the challenge.

We’ve got to build a grassroots force that’s ready to take them on whenever and wherever they attack women’s rights and women’s health.

And we’ll do it by coming together. Join us.

One million strong for women — add your name, your voice, and your support now.

Click –> HERE

More Mississippi Meanderings

February 10, 2012UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

From Kristin Montalbano:

Mark Twain once said, the Mississippi River is a “wonderful book with a new story to tell every day.” Well, Nat Geo WILD spent an entire year exploring the length of North America’s longest and greatest waterway in Wild Mississippi and we can tell you the man was NOT exaggerating. We gave a few of our favorite science, animal and nature bloggers the chance to check out the miniseries before it airs this Sunday – see what they had to say below:

Check it out!

Is climate change a leftist scientific conspiracy to destroy America?

February 10, 2012Climate Change, UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

According to Rick Santorum, it is.

Strange.

Brad Johnson has context and analysis here.

I think Rick Santorum is trying to destroy America.