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Archive for April, 2010

Supreme Court To Hear Appeal Of California Video Game Law

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, April 26th, 2010. Filed under Freedom of Speech, Individual Liberty, Supreme Court, Technology, U.S. Constitution

Last year, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a California law that made it illegal to sell “violent” video games to minors. Today, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the State of California’s appeal in that case:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will decide whether free speech rights are more important than helping [...]

Radical Islam And “The Narrative”

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, April 26th, 2010. Filed under Al Qaeda, Islam, Religion, War On Terror

There was a fascinating segment on 60 Minutes last night about the role of something called “The Narrative” in radical Islam.
What is “The Narrative” ? Well, Thomas Friedman explained it pretty well in an article last November:
The Narrative is the cocktail of half-truths, propaganda and outright lies about America that have taken hold in the [...]

Economists Say That Stimulus Bill Had No Impact On Economic Recovery

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, April 26th, 2010. Filed under 2010 Elections, Barack Obama, Credit Crisis, Economics, Elections, Politicos & Pundits, Politics

A new economic study shows that most economists agree that the stimulus bill passed last year had no real impact on the economy and cannot be said to have led to what looks for the time being like an economic recovery:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The recovery is picking up steam as employers boost payrolls, but [...]

The Arizona “Birther Bill” Is Unconstitutional

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, April 26th, 2010. Filed under Barack Obama, Obama Derangement Syndrome, Politicos & Pundits, Politics, U.S. Constitution

Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett is suggesting that the “birther bill” pending in the state legislature may be unconstitutional as it applies to candidates for Federal office:
Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett said creating state-level requirements for a federal office could violate the U.S. Constitution.
“While everyone has an interest [...]

It’s Boobquake Monday !

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, April 26th, 2010. Filed under Humor, Islam, Religion

You may recall last week when an Iranian cleric blamed earthquakes on scantily clad women.
Well, one Purdue University senior has decided to test the theory:
It promises to be a “scientific experiment” like none you’ve ever seen.
To test an Iranian cleric’s claim that immodestly dressed women are responsible for earthquakes, tens of thousands of women around [...]

Why South Park Matters

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, April 26th, 2010. Filed under Freedom of Speech, Individual Liberty, Islam, Religion

Ross Douthat explains why the South Park Muhammed controversy matters:
In a way, the muzzling of “South Park” is no more disquieting than any other example of Western institutions’ cowering before the threat of Islamist violence. It’s no worse than the German opera house that temporarily suspended performances of Mozart’s opera “Idomeneo” because it included a [...]

General Motors And The Obama White House Are Lying To You

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, April 26th, 2010. Filed under Auto Industry, Barack Obama, Business, Economics, Politicos & Pundits, Politics

Like me, you’ve probably seen this commercial on television over the past several days:

It’s based on the story from last week claiming that General Motors had repaid its loans from the government, a fact prominently touted by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on this Twitter Feed:
BIG NEWS – GM pays back US [...]

J.D. Hayworth: “Birther Bill” Doesn’t Go Far Enough

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, April 26th, 2010. Filed under 2010 Elections, Barack Obama, Dumbasses, Elections, John McCain, Obama Derangement Syndrome, Political Parties, Politicos & Pundits, Politics, Republicans

Republican Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth says that Arizona’s “birther bill” does not go far enough
U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth is critical of the so-called “birther bill” that cleared the Arizona House of Representatives last week because it doesn’t go far enough.
Hayworth, who has cited the possibility of “identity theft” as a reason to want to [...]

Taliban May Be Poisoning Afghan Girls So They Cannot Attend School

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, April 26th, 2010. Filed under Afghanistan, Foreign Affairs, Islam, Religion

If this is really the result of a deliberate act, it’s really pretty sick:
KABUL – More than 80 schoolgirls have fallen ill in three cases of mass sickness over the past week in northern Afghanistan, raising fears that militants who oppose education for girls are using poison to scare them away from school.
The latest case [...]

North Carolina Beach Town Bans Thongs

by Doug Mataconis @ Sunday, April 25th, 2010. Filed under In The News

A town in North Carolina known as “Mayberry with a beach” has banned thongs:
KURE BEACH, N.C. — A North Carolina town that the mayor called “Mayberry with a beach” has banned swimmers from wearing thongs. Kure Beach Mayor Dean Lambeth said “we’re going to keep this as close to Mayberry with a beach as you [...]

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