Interesting Links for 11-1-2011

[andrewducker]

• 9-Year-Old Victim of Arizona Shooting's Funeral to Be Picketed by Westboro Baptist Church. My brain has exploded
  (tags: usa wtf religion)
• Confirmation for a theory I've held for a while - genetics gives you potential, environment dictates how much you fulfil.
  (tags: genetics intelligence)
• 55 Science Fiction/Fantasy Movies in 2011. Also, you have to see what the sequel to Piranha 3D is called...
  (tags: movies scifi cinema fantasy 2011)
• Some beautiful natural ice formations
  (tags: photos ice science)
• A brief history of mankind, from the invention of agriculture to now. The last two hundred years have been awesome.
  (tags: economics history humanity mankind)
• Thousands Of Egyptian Muslims Show Up As Human Shields To Defend Coptic Christians From Terrorism
  (tags: religion egypt islam christianity EpicWin)
• Online Game Teaches Citation Skills
  (tags: games research gaming education literacy citation)
• I'm curious as to why we have massive tarrifs on imported Chinese garlic...
  (tags: garlic eu taxes china)
• Employees to lose right to sue for unfair dismissal unless they've been employed for two years. I do not approve.
  (tags: politics business uk)
• Rare Backstage Star Trek: The Next Generation Pictures
  (tags: startrek photos tng tv)
• How the US caused a WHO investigation into drug harm reduction to be binned, because they didn't like the answers.
  (tags: cocaine health drugs un usa who)
• How AV shifts power from the parties to the voters. A fantastic article that's well worth reading. Oh, for an end to tribalism
  (tags: politics voting uk)

Comments

[pseudomonas]

I'm guessing the garlic tariffs are just to keep the price of garlic within the EU high enough to keep local garlic-growers in business.

[jack]

I think my comment on the trailer for Piranha 1 was that it would probably be marginally better if they left the piranhas out and just showed 90 minutes of people sitting on the beach. I'm less than enthused that I seem to have been right :(

[birguslatro]

While it's only for 90 days here, we've already got the sacked-with-no-redress law here. It's most curious just how global these ideas are.

[cyprinella]

I wouldn't cry if the whole Phelps clan were to DIAF.

[poisonduk.livejournal.com]

We prefer Chinese Garlic and always go our of our way to buy it - I suppose it is more expensive but I'd never considered that was due to tax.

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

As I commented to andrewducker on Twitter, it's part of CAP - the EU tax food stuffs imported from outside the EU through the nose if it is something grown in the EU, to help EU farmers compete.

[khoth.livejournal.com]

I don't have a link handy, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that Westboro Baptist Church gets its funding by suing people who get angry enough at them to throw a punch or whatever. Picketing a 9-year-old's funeral would fit in with that plan.

[poisonduk.livejournal.com]

That's my understanding of their modus operandi too. It's their only form of income.

[a-pawson.livejournal.com]

Fred Phelps is a wealthy man having run his own law firm since the early 1960's. He is now disbarred, but 11 of his children still practice law, some for his law firm, others elsewhere.

[innerbrat]

I really think we should stop talking about the Phelpses. Just don't mention them. Neglect to acknowledge their existence. Take away their power to attract attention.

[autopope.livejournal.com]

I will note that it is quite easy to get them to go away.

Instead of ranting and wailing, you just very loudly and publicly announce that for every minute they demonstrate you will donate a chunk of cash to some charity they violently disapprove of (e.g. something working with HIV education in the gay community). Then you ask the rest of the mourners if they'd like to join in.

This has been done, and it makes them go away very fast because you've diverted the purpose of their demonstration into raising money for something they hate and you've given people an alternate outlet for the anger they'd normally vent on the WBC (which fuels their litigation machine).

[anton-p-nym.livejournal.com]

An excellent idea; beats mine, which was to sue 'em for harrasment (or even slander), as even though donating to a worthy cause won't cost WBC a dime it will at least be certain to drive 'em away. A lawsuit is just too unpredictable and potentially too expensive.

-- Steve notes that suggesting a "Second Amendment" solution is beyond the pale, no matter how appealing it is to the atavistic portions of his brain.

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

See above their source of income. Getting sued is why they do this.

[autopope.livejournal.com]

Most of them are lawyers by profession.

WBC is allegedly not so much a church as a long con operation that allegedly raises money by (a) turning up where they're not welcome, (b) striking a provocative pose, (c) waiting for mourners/other public/law enforcement to punch them or run them out of town, then (d) suing the municipality for breach of civil rights.

This is profitable enough -- it only takes a couple of six-digit awards per year to fund them -- that it supports their lifestyle.

More here.

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

Backstage pictures from films etc done mostly with CG or projection suck hard compared to ones from films with actual sets/costumes.

[phillipalden.livejournal.com]

"she had the poor taste to be born on 9/11/2001.."

There are no words ugly enough to describe the Phelps family and their insane founder.