Link Archive 3/1/14 – 4/3/14

The Secret Gnostic Key to Aronofsky's "Noah" that Everyone Missed - I always thought it was pretty obvious to anyone who really read the bible (at least the English/Protestant version that I got) that the OT god was the bad guy. He managed to win, and so He re-cast the serpent as evil and everyone worships Him in error, but somehow the record of his actions managed to survive (even with the spin). I'm glad to see there's a whole lost religious tradition that agrees. It means there have always been some people in history that have at least one skill point in Reading Comprehension. In the decade leading up to the big coal-ash spill, West Virginia had been deeply slashing regulations to appeal to the Coal Dragons. To the point that the government couldn't even effectively go after willful violators. Humans - reaping what they sow, since forever. Breaking through nihilism - "The actual fundamentals of the universe that we have learned from centuries of investigation are so completely and utterly alien to we tiny little humans and our worldview that they cannot even be called malicious! ... Because the universe lacks any agency, it cannot actually stop us." Avoid Catholic hospitals, they might kill you if it means not having to end a pregnancy that isn't viable anyway. Unfortunately, some people don't have any non-Catholic options, as the Church keeps buying up hospitals. Why the hell are we allowing religious organizations to buy hospitals??? Oh, right, because religions are big business.  "doctors ... did not tell her that the fetus could not survive or that continuing her pregnancy was risky and did not admit her for observation. ... She returned the next morning, bleeding and in pain, and was sent home again. That night she went a third time, feverish and writhing with pain; she miscarried at the hospital and the fetus died soon after. ... the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ... require Catholic hospitals to avoid abortion or referrals, “even when doing so places a woman’s health or life at risk.”" TYPICAL MIND AND DISBELIEF IN STRAIGHT PEOPLE ..."imagine that you’re one of those people Dan Savage was talking about – a closeted gay guy who doesn’t realize he’s a closeted gay guy. He just thinks – reasonably, given his own experience! -that the natural state of the human male is to be attracted to other men, but that men grudgingly have sex with and marry women anyway because society tells them they have to. In that case, exactly the anti-gay position conservatives push makes perfect sense for exactly the reasons they say it makes sense." BWA HAHAHAHA! It's sad, but in such a funny way.

The Germ Theory of Democracy, Dictatorship, and All Your Most Cherished Beliefs. The title pretty much says it all, but... "If promoting democracy and other liberal values is on your agenda, he says, health care and disease abatement should be your main concern." Still a new idea, so take it as informed speculation. But worst case scenario, you've still helped to prevent/cure diseases, which is awesome in its own right even without the democracy bonus.

Due Process When Everything Is a Crime "a popular game in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York was to name a famous person—Mother Teresa, or John Lennon—and decide how he or she could be prosecuted" ... "the actual decision of whether or not to charge a person with a crime is almost completely unconstrained. Yet, because of overcharging and plea bargains, the decision to prosecute is probably the single most important event in the chain of criminal procedure." 8 Reasons Straight Men Don't Want To Get Married I'd also like to add #9: If both partners work, there are almost no tax benefits to being married, and nowadays almost always both partners work. Can't even bribe people into marriage anymore. Did you buy almost any piece of electronics between 1998-2002? Fill out a 3-minute claim (easiest one I've ever seen) and get back $10+. Unless you make more than $3/minute already, this is worth your time. A friend's Facebook flare-up reminded me of this. A large black dude talks about what it takes to keep strangers from being scared around him. White guys often don't realize this is a thing for women *all the time*. Thinking people should automatically be comfortable around you just because you're such a great guy is a hallmark of privilege, and the most privileged people never realize it. "Now there are two ways I could react to these encounters. I could rail against people for being racist and sexist and size-ist (if that’s a thing) – I’m so gentle and warm and loving! How dare they act as though I’m not? That’s one way – and it’s the stupid way. The other way is to recognize that while I strongly dislike the fact that people see me as dangerous because of how I look, it is up to me to decide what to do with that information. If I don’t care about spooking my neighbours, I don’t have to shuffle my feet – let them deal with their fright. But if I do care, then I have to find some way of mitigating that fear so we can coexist harmoniously." Cory Doctorow: Cold Equations and Moral Hazard "Every time you hear that education is vital and taking care of the poor is our solemn duty, but we must all tighten in our belts while our lifeboat rocks in the middle of the precarious, crisis-torn economic seas, ask yourself whether the captain of our lifeboat had any role in the sinking of the ship." If you click no other video this day... 50 Cent dubbed over Jehovah's Witnesses trying to get deaf people to stop masturbating and the translation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytYykOop6HI
(don't know sign language so I can't verify it's accurate. However it does accurately represent what I was taught as a kid.)

I am forced to approve of this. Moonrise: A MLP Symphonic Metal Opera