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| Bothwell can't be forced out of office over his atheist views because the North Carolina provision is unenforceable, according to the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution. Six other states, Arkansas, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, have similar provisions barring atheist officeholders.
In 1961, the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed that federal law prohibits states from requiring any kind of religious test to serve in office when it ruled in favor of a Maryland atheist seeking appointment as a notary public.
But the federal protections don't necessarily spare atheist public officials from spending years defending themselves in court. Avowed atheist Herb Silverman won an eight-year court battle in 1997 when South Carolina's highest court granted him the right to be appointed as a notary despite the state's law. From Raw Story
This is what the term "states rights" actually means in practice-- the "right" of states to discriminate against unpopular minorities.
Don't think they're serious about this stuff? Think again. If members of the religious right had their way, atheists being denied the ability to run for office would be the least of it. | will you17 nc's. or comment?   |
| I'm going to Israel. I bought this, hoping I can charge my camera battery while over there.
I've opened it, but don't get where I'm supposed to plug anything into? Like, where do the prongs to my charger go? Anyway have experience with these types of things? | | will you2 nc's. or comment? |
| I'm hooked on to an oblivion at its contrasting edge
the one that opens it deeper
hollowing down into the chasms of infinity
with every next stretching-backward variable,
trying to complete a circle but it never does
reaching into a sky that's positively inverted
towards self-dissolution
change changes
I think my world is dying for something greater
I think something greater is in my head somewhere
I think my head is in some far end of outer space
Connected to a bunch of other heads | | will youcomment? |
| a game of chase myself around the corner
where I'm disappearing to , I don't know
until I get around the bend
and see me going around again
We found each other in the wild
in pixels
in the wild landscape that our crazy minds have to run rampant in.
At least I've figured out that the famous aren't my friends, though some of my friends tend to be famous.
We're bubbling up like bad sores in Hollywood
we are the worst actors I have ever seen.
Right? We were only joking, right?
Am I a figment of my own imagination?
Or am I a celebrity like everyone else? | | will youcomment? |
| Hi there!
My best friend from high school and I are going to be spending 2 weeks in Rajasthan/Delhi/Agra this December. In the past, we've found we enjoy travel a lot more if we limit ourselves to seeing one region more thoroughly, getting to know the people, etc, as opposed to running amok trying to see, say, the whole of India in 2 weeks. So. Given that we're going to limit ourselves to Rajasthan - are there things we absolutely should do?
Have you suggestions as to off-the-beaten-path destinations? Small towns we should see? People we should stay with?
There'll definitely be a few days in Delhi, camel trekking out of Jaisalmer, and a visit to one of the national parks (Sariska, perhaps? I'd like to avoid the touristyness of Ranthambore.) We're looking for 3-4 more destinations to round out our trip.
Also - just how important is it to see Agra & the Taj Mahal? | | will you3 nc's. or comment? |
| Hey all! I'm planning a trip to New Zealand and Australia and would like to WWOOF in both countries. Does anyone know if I join as a member of the New Zealand WWOOF can I also get a listing of farms in Australia that participate without having to "join" again? Basically, does membership for one member country carry over to another member country if the membership is still within that year's time in which membership is valid? It was unclear from the websites if membership carried over.
Thanks for your help! | | will you2 nc's. or comment? |
| Hello! I'm an American student who has been studying in Reading, England for the past three months and term ends this Friday. I was planning on going to Ireland for roughly 7 days, and I'm looking for suggestions on everything from where to visit, the best places to stay, and optimal modes of transport. I will be flying into Dublin, which I was able to explore previously but only for a day, and I would like to get to both Kilkenny and Killarney if possible, but it's all very vague beyond that.
So! Let me know what I should spend my money on, where I should be, what I should see, and anything else I might find helpful. :D Please and thank you! | | will you10 nc's. or comment? |
| A Climate Scientists blog article on one of the best, most user friendly, and most well respected meteorological and climate science websites in the business (second only the NWS/NOAA website and far more user friendly) discusses the multi billion dollar PR industry that spans a number of high dollar firms who specialize in manufacturing doubt by churning out junk (and sometimes outright fake) science and packages it to the public who lacks the knowledge to properly recognize it for what it is as "legitimate skepticism", which it is most assuredly not. High profile clients have included the Tobacco industry, various pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers and users of every toxic substance known to man from Asbestos to Lead to Dioxin to Chloroflourocarbons (CFCs), and how now these same firms have turned their efforts towards global climate change.
I will also add that I agree with the author's take that a lot of environmental groups do the arguments of climate scientists a disservice by exaggerating some claims and making up others (such as most of the hurricane related claims which do NOT appear to be linked to global warming). But I think he also represents the general consensus of the scientific community that whether or not there is a "smoking gun" the evidence for it is compelling and continues to mount, meaning that whether or not you have your doubts about the human induced nature of global climate change it is unreasonable not to act as though it is the case and make policy changes accordingly. That is the cold hard reality of all of the LEGITIMATE science. It costs us little to do it, it arguably has major long term economic benefits, and we simply cannot afford to be wrong on it. The article is not terribly wrong and it is a highly highly reccomended read. It also refers you to sources of further information if you are interested in some aspect of it. I'm particularly looking at some of those books on the "manufactured doubt" industry. | | will you165 nc's. or comment? |
| hey everyone
a couple of friends and i are planning to go on a roadtrip across usa in may 2010. there's a lot of info online and we're not sure how to get started. what are the things to look out for, must-see sights, reasonably-priced bars etc. and if there's anyone who has gone on such trips, advice will be much appreciated...it's going to be our grad trip as well, so we want to make it as memorable as possible. also, this could be asking for too much but we'd like to go to a gig there if there's any? i heard rock concerts there are crazy. thanks heaps! | | will you4 nc's. or comment? |
| So it looks as though the Senate leadership is finally going to drop the weakened version of the public option altogether. So much for healthcare reform.
The "good" news is that the Senate counterpart to the Stupak amendment failed. Which is great if one's definition of "reform" is "not fucking things up even more".
If the Democrats can't actually use their political power to reign in big business, then why bother voting for them? If they can't do it now, when can they ever? | | will you53 nc's. or comment? |
| | Hi there! I am seriously considering doing a study exchange in Finland. I was wondering if you worldly folks could give me any pros and cons you know of about Finland. I am from the US, so obviously the exchange rate is a bit of a con, but I can work around that. Thanks so much :) | | will you5 nc's. or comment? |
| http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/acorn_report_finds_no_illegal_conduct.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TPMmuckraker+%28TPMmuckraker%29
ACORN employees caught in those undercover videos advising a couple posing as a pimp and a prostitute on how to break the law acted unprofessionally and inappropriately, but did nothing illegal, an independent report has found.
While some of the advice and counsel given by ACORN employees and volunteers was clearly inappropriate and unprofessional, we did not find a pattern of intentional, illegal conduct by ACORN staff; in fact, there is no evidence that action, illegal or otherwise, was taken by any ACORN employee on behalf of the videographers.
The videos that have been released appear to have been edited, in some cases substantially, including the insertion of a substitute voiceover for significant portions of Mr. O'Keefe's and Ms. Giles's comments, which makes it difficult to determine the questions to which ACORN employees are responding. A comparison of the publicly available transcripts to the released videos confirms that large portions of the original video have been omitted from the released versions.
So, this has been going on, quietly, below the surface for a while now. Acorn, of course, had nothing to do with any of it, and, as was brought up over and over again, the "producers" of the file were entrapping the Acorn employees. And once again, FOX News has used partisan editorial leanings to influence actual reporting, and has damaged a social organization that did much good.
And where are the mea culpas? Why, nowhere to be found, of course... | | will you49 nc's. or comment? |
| Hello,
I will be going to Hong Kong for 6 days soon, and I managed to plan my itinerary, but I am not sure if I am being too ambitious, so I would really like you all to give me your opinions! Nice food that can be found around the area where I will be going is most welcomed too :D Thanks :D
( Itinerary under cut (: ) | | will you4 nc's. or comment? |
| My boy and I are road-tripping to Chicago from D.C. for four days. We already have a place to stay cause his sister lives there, but need suggestions on awesome places to go! Restaurants, bars, stores, museums, galleries, etc...
He is vegetarian, so veggie-friendly places are a plus. We are both students so anything free/cheap/discounted is also helpful.
Let me know! Thanks in advance for your advice and suggestions | | will you2 nc's. or comment? |
| Circus clown Kuklachev filed lawsuits against 10 bloggers who accused Kuklachev of torturing cats
One of Kuklachev's victims is Michael Verbitsky (“Misha”, http://verbit.ru ). Misha is a mild-mannered Russian mathematician, a Harvard graduate, a civil liberties activist and a father of four children. Just a few days ago, Misha was giving lectures in a university in Brazil, when he found that back in his Russian homeland he became a target of a lawsuit filed … by a circus clown Yuri Kuklachev ( http://kuklachev.ru ).
Apparently Misha, who is also one of the most famous political bloggers in the Russian "blogosphere", discussed in his blog a series of bizarre incidents when Kuklachev threatened with lawsuits several social networking and literature websites. Kuklachev went berserk when the visitors to those websites dared to hold the discussions about the rumors that Kuklachev uses electric shock to train his cats to perform unnatural tricks like walking on two front legs. Such discussions were not groundless – for example a mainstream Ukrainian newspaper Bulvar Gordona already published an article mentioning that Kuklachev “trains” his cats by inserting hard objects into their anal orifices (http://www.bulvar.com.ua/arch/2007/43/471e32765f278/ ).
Why did Kuklachev decided to sue bloggers rather than the newspaper? Some commentators raised the possibility that Kuklachev was used by pro-Putin “political technologists” who wants to weed out the political dissidents (including Misha Verbitsky) from the Russian Internet. They probably perceived Misha as an ideal victim for such a plan – Misha is well-known, but cannot afford the costs of litigation. In addition to it, Kuklachev has a lot of friends in Moscow government and the courts in Russia are not exactly independent.
Right now Misha's blog http://lj.rossia.org/users/tiphareth is not working because it became the target of a massive DDoS-attack technically similar to attacks on Estonian websites back in 2007 ( http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/03/pro-kremlin-gro/ ).
( How can you help Misha and other Russian bloggers? ) | | will you20 nc's. or comment? |
| On General Stanley McChrystal's Report:
Question (Eric Ruder, International Socialist Review)
"What's the intent behind General McChrystal's report on Afghanistan? The tone of the report was much more pessimistic than past ones, and it was attached to a request for 40,000 more U.S. troops. Is this the Pentagon's attempt to demand something of Obama that he can't deliver and thus -- as in the Vietnam era -- shift blame for the crisis to 'political leaders' who 'tied the hands' of the military?"
Answer (Gareth Porter, journalist):
"I'm very much persuaded that this is one of the things that McChrystal is thinking about. His report is so remarkably candid in terms of acknowledging the obstacles within Afghan society and the government to the succcess of any possible counterinsurgency war the U.S. might possibly wage.
The report has to be considered an effort to paint a very pessimistic picture so that if, in fact, McChrystal is forced to go ahead with the troops he now has, or even if he gets more troops, he is able to point to the report that outlines a situation where failure, if it should occur, wasn't his fault. I think he suspects strongly that the mission isn't going to work." | | will you31 nc's. or comment? |
| There's an opinion that Putin is considered to be "great". Some Russians treat him as if he's a "father". The same thing took place w/ Stalin, but he was a bloody dictator.
So what's the real reason for this perception? Is Putin really great or it's just a well-done political PR?
On his annual annual Q&A session w Russian citizens answering a question on how he resists depression, which the questioner said was a common ailment among great people, Putin said: "I do not consider myself a great person, that is why I do not suffer from depression." http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091203/157087312.htm | | will you7 nc's. or comment? |
| Dear Colleagues
Bring to your attention a monthly newsletter (November 2009) Research Center Victor Voksanaeva with various information materials.
Victor Voksanaeva Research Center specializes in research in the area for signs of crisis situations that arise in business and public arenas of society.
Our capabilities include:
- Detection of vulnerabilities of business development,
- Information about potential threats
- Evaluation and analysis of publicly available information.
For more information contact:
Website: http://viktorvoksanaev.narod.ru/voksanaev.html
E. E-mail: voksanaev@mail.ru
ostroverhov08@rambler.ru
Sincerely Viktor Voksanaev | | will youcomment? |
| It seems very fitting to have the following email land in my spam box along w/ the GOA statement about the crap tacked onto the healthcare bill further limiting our 2nd amendment rights (yet another 'reminder' to scream at your senator, congressman and anyone else who will listen along w/ please send us money etc.)
The following is probably one of the only times I AGREE w/ Moveon.org. It is also a sign that the folks who helped put Obambi in power can and will (sometimes) use the organization for the original purposes, grassroots org for change such as NO MORE WAR - despite all the other crap they're up to and the language it is guised in below. So for what it's worth, here's probably the first and last email i'll agree w/ a damn thing from this bunch.
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Dear MoveOn member,
Last night, President Obama announced that he will send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan—on top of the 68,000 who are already there.
MoveOn is its members, so after the speech, we asked thousands of members what they think of the president's plan. While some support his decision to send more troops, a significant majority think escalating the war is wrong. Where all of us agree is that we need to begin bringing our troops home as quickly and safely as possible. (You can see more detailed results below.)
As Sandy M. in Oregon put it, "Millions of lives will be tragically altered. Innocent people, by the thousands, will lose their lives. We have plenty of nation building to do, and it's in our country, not others."
While the president acknowledged that our commitment in Afghanistan cannot be open-ended, we have to act now to make sure our representatives and senators hold him to that. President Obama said he'll begin withdrawing troops in July, 2011, but news reports are already suggesting that withdrawal could be very limited, so pressure from Congress will be key.1
Congress could take up legislation related to the war this month, so we need to get the message to them quickly. Can you sign our emergency petition calling on Congress to end the war as quickly as possible? Clicking below will add your name:
http://pol.moveon.org/afghan_timeline/?id=18131-9384875-D1qtATx&t=3
The petition says, "Congress must push the Obama administration to outline firm benchmarks and a binding timeline to bring all of our troops home from Afghanistan as soon as possible."
( Read more ) | | will you46 nc's. or comment? |
| "I don't see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist because of the irresponsibility of its people," National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger said of Chile in 1970
Isn't our dedication to democracy and the will of the people an amazing and awesome thing?
Also, I checked the comm info and I noticed it had links to American parties. It has some of the smaller US parties, like the Green party--whom I rather like, but know to be mildly ineffective.
What's your take (given what you know...which is?) on the Working Families Party? I'm curios to see what kind of feedback this gets.
I'll be able to spot the Glen Beck watchers easy this way.... ;) | | will you71 nc's. or comment? |
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