Humanity: Good News, Bad News

[Lord J Esq]

Man, I've been told that before.  Not trying to knock your credibility, but I still don't believe that.

This is a bit off-topic, but the best current-event example of the lingering prejudice in our society is the shape of the debate over Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. Some people have called her a "welfare pick," and have insinuated or stated outright that she wouldn't have been nominated had she not been female or Latina--which is not intended at face value but is instead an unspoken attack on her legal credentials and a swipe at her sex and ethnicity at the same time.

The really interesting thing is that we're so caught up in this whole idea of picking people based on their external characteristics--gotta have a female; gotta have a minority--that nobody seems to notice a much more powerful case of this kind of prejudice already in place: white males. The Supreme Court is absolutely stuffed with 'em, with seven of nine members fitting that description. If they were anything but white males, it would be glaring. Seven Asians? Seven gays? Seven atheists? The right wing would be marching in the streets. If you were wondering, white males comprise about 37 percent of the national population, whereas seven of nine is 78 percent--more than twice as much. White males have a near-monopoly on stuff like this, and it's taken us a very long time to make even modest inroads.

But few people see it that way. And that's why "the other eleven months are white (male) history months." It's true because that is the default. It's not a conspiracy or anything. It's the legacy of the past.

[Thought]

This is a bit off-topic, but the best current-event example of the lingering prejudice in our society is the shape of the debate over Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court.

The election of Obama is another good example, though for slightly different reasons.

The fact that his election is noteworthy is itself an indication that we have a long way to go. True victory comes when a black man is elected president, or a latino woman is appointed to the supreme court, and no one notices.

As for the history month bits: no form of segregation is a good segregation. Instead of having a month, there should be a strong fight to make it the norm, right alongside white male history almost-a-full-year.

[IAmSerge]

Personally, I didn't give a shit that he was black.

Black, half white, islamic, or whatever all those rumors said, be true or otherwise, I really didn't give a shit.

In fact, I was in support of him originally because I misread what kind of candidate he was and what his stance was.

And btw: I really don't want to get into a political debate.  Why?
This is exactly why: every time anything political comes up, its all one sided.  Someone's side and stories are brought to the table, and I bring nothing.  Why?  Because I never remember anything or know anything on the issues and topics.  I can only debate with whats on the table.  Repub or Demo, whoever is bringing something up with me will always "win" in terms of debate.  Winning me over, a different story, but I really am not much for these kinds of things.

So thats why, even if none of you didn't care.

[Romana]

Fuck Religion News

Church exorcises 'homosexual demon'

[Katie Skyye]

Vaugh...that's just retarded...

[Romana]

Fuck Religion News:
'Virgin Mary seen in tree', people carve out the shape of McDonald's mascot Grimace

Hurray for Discoveries News:
Oldest dinosaur burrow discovered

[IAmSerge]

Fuck Religion News:
'Virgin Mary seen in tree', people carve out the shape of McDonald's mascot Grimace

Hahahaha =D

[Thought]

Bah, I'll match your tree stump and raise you a dirty pan.

Michael Jackson beats Mary, right?

[Romana]

Bah, I'll match your tree stump and raise you a dirty pan.

Michael Jackson beats Mary, right?

Michael Jackson > Virgin Mary > Billy Mays > Michael Jackson

There you go, rock paper scissors of a sort.

[Romana]

SPAAAAAAAACE Neeeewwws
"Six European volunteers have emerged from a simulated space capsule in Moscow after spending more than three months locked inside."

Pretty interesting, I didn't even know this was going on.

However, 105 days is not nearly long enough to get to Mars and back.

So next year another group of volunteers will enter the same cramped capsule and be sealed inside for a daunting 520 days - nearly a year and a half.

Yipes!

[Lord J Esq]

Ah, I remember reading about them when they first went in. It's some curious research, and very important, but it makes me suspicious that the test group is all-male. I'm worried that it means NASA will try to pull that crap on a real Mars mission. Probably "to avoid the risk of sexual tension"...as if there are not six human beings on all the Earth capable of sharing close quarters with members of the opposite sex for long periods of time without misbehaving, whatever "misbehavior" means.

If that's really their thinking, then they ought to send an all-female crew. Males have gotten all the other milestones ("one small step for man" indeed!), and there are more than six females in the world who could be made qualified for a Mars mission when the time comes. But, honestly, are we still such troglodytes that we can't send a mixed crew?

[ZeaLitY]

Good News: China stops using electroshock therapy on Internet addicts. The "if it don't work, shock it" PAC is most displeased.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31905111/ns/tech_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

Bad News: Woman fired for her "lack of faith" from a chiropractic office.

http://atheism.about.com/b/2009/05/21/el-dorado-chiropractic-fires-woman-for-being-an-atheist.htm

[Truthordeal]

Bad News: Family Sues Genie:

http://news.aol.com/article/family-sues-genie/573728?icid=webmail|wbml-aol|dl6|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Ffamily-sues-genie%2F573728

[ZeaLitY]

Good News

Jimmy Carter severs all ties to Southern Baptists over sexism:

http://www.blogher.com/jimmy-carter-leaves-southern-baptist-church-protest-treatment-women

Bad News

Catholic church hardens position to excommunicate anyone involved in an abortion—especially 9 year old girls and their families:

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/07/that_inhuman_monolith.php

…there is a more important principle at stake. "We have laws, we have a discipline, we have a doctrine of the faith," the official says. "This is not just theory. And you can't start backpedaling just because the real-life situation carries a certain human weight." Benedict makes it ever more clear that his strict approach to doctrine will remain a central pillar to his papacy, bad publicity be damned.

In PZ's words:

Everyone should simply leave that evil institution — tell them they can keep their bricks and their real estate, their gold chalices and their gilt robes, their layered assemblage of celibate perverts, meddling old men, and fearful brides of Christ, and let that human element walk away, free of their superstitions. The church doesn't want that human weight, anyway.

[Truthordeal]

I'm honestly not surprised; Southern Baptism is a pretty rigid institution.