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Life, Death and Violence: A Study of June 6

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOJXE1DWLAc

This is the year 2111! Much has happened since the Zecronian triumphs of 2100-2105. The Crasstalk Nations have inflicted upon the Aquamaranian Zecronians great defeats, in open battle, alien-to-manchild. Our pre-destructive offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the Kuiper Belt and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war (by which we mean the ever glorious cheese biscuit bomb) and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory! Don’t blame me! I voted for Kodos! That is why we must fight! That is why we must win! Continue reading →

Google’s Person of the Year, Rick Santorum, is Running For President…Officially

Oh, joy! This is exactly what we all need…another batshit, crazy dude who wants to run our country, especially one who’s homophobic, racist, and just generally some sort of nutty political wombat. The GOP is just awesome at hand-picking their representatives.

Rick Santorum announces that he’s joining the latest in “all star” candidates in a run for the presidency. Continue reading →

This Is What The U.S. AIDS Epidemic Looks Like

In the 30 years since the first cases of HIV were diagnosed, it has been said that the disease is no longer a death sentence. I’m sure this statement is probably more true in the United States than other countries. Here’s the interesting thing: AIDS is probably more prevalent in your town than you think. Don’t believe me? Check out AIDSVu, the most detailed publicly available look at HIV cases throughout the U.S. Continue reading →

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Pleads Not Guilty

The former head of the International Monetary Fund appeared in court in Manhattan today, and pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting a maid at the Sofitel hotel.

Prosecutors say Strauss-Kahn forced the 32-year-old woman to perform oral sex on him.

Kahn wore a dark suit and tie. His wife, also dressed in a dark suit, held his arm. There were protesters outside the court, yelling ‘Shame on you’. Kahn spoke publically for the first time since the scandal broke, saying in court: ‘Not Guilty’.

Kahn’s next court date is in July.  The Times has a great breakdown on what may happen next.

 

John Edwards Is an A-hole and Other Things We Assumed

Sleazy, grimy politics isn’t new. Much of the American consciousness has become desensitized when it comes to the political games, posturing, and all together insanity that follows presidential candidates, until you discuss John Edwards. John Edwards is a different kind of scumbag. He’s the kind of scumbag who’ll cheat on his cancer-ridden wife, father a child with his mistress, pay for her silence, cover it up, run for the presidency, fail miserably amid a shit-scorching scandal, attempt resurrection by traveling to Haiti on a pandering mission, look sullen at his wife’s funeral, and then when the shit really hits the now very real federal indictment fan, beg his mistress to cover for him. Yeah, this is the guy who was once a democratic darling who we’d now like to erase from our collective memories forever. Continue reading →

Jack Kevorkian Dies

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, AKA “Dr. Death,” who helped dozens of sick people commit suicide has died at age 83. Ironically, he died after a prolonged illness in a hospital bed – exactly the kind of death he helped his patients avoid.

Many people will say many things about this man and his deeply flawed methods, but I believe we would not have had this vitally important public conversation about death and self determination without him. He was an angel to those whose suffering he relieved at their request and a devil to those who despised his methods and message.  Although his publicity seeking and death-obsessed art was off putting to even those that supported his message, he should be recognized as the trailblazer he was in bringing end of life issues to the forefront of American discourse.  I only hope that dying in a hospital bed was what he wanted.   Because that’s ultimately what Dr. Kevorkian was about: choice.

RIP Jack.

 

Wales Will Have Water No Matter What Twitter Says, and Other Tall Tales

Apparently the spreading of crazy rumors isn’t only a United States thing. Customers in the Rhondda Cynon Taf, Rhymney and Caerphilly areas of Wales got their panties in a bunch, because a letter was sent out that some repairs were being made to the local water works. Misreading this well-meaning missive, some overly helpful soul got on the Twitterz™ and said that everyone’s water supply was being cut off. This had the effect of swamping the Welsh Water Call Centre (see that spelling? classy!) so the folks in charge had to get to Teetering and Tweetering to let the public know that their water supply was not being cut off. Jeez Louise, already. Continue reading →