Interesting Links for 5-8-2011

[andrewducker]

• 1 in 6 Dutch clergy are atheist or agnostic.
  (tags: atheism belief religion holland christianity)
• I entirely agree with this piece on the "comfortable prison" awaiting Anders Behring Breivik (the Norwegian mass murderer)
  (tags: prison norway usa crime)
• In purchasing power terms, the "emerging economies" have overtaken the "developed world".
  (tags: economics globalization)
• US police are using a flawed scientific test in drugs busts that gives false positives to strongarm citizens into plea bargaining
  (tags: police law drugs EpicFail usa)
• Liberal Democrats want inquiry into decriminalising drug possession.
  (tags: libdem drugs)
• If you're mad Frank Darabont left The Walking Dead, blame Mad Men
  (tags: FrankDarabont MadMen WalkingDead)
• This Is Why You Share (and also why this linkpost exists. If you're reading this on LJ.)
  (tags: sharing culture psychology)
• Diablo 3 will make you liable for taxation whenever a magic item is dropped...
  (tags: diablo taxes)
• The Ultimate Flowchart on How To Deal With Internet Arguments
  (tags: internet flowchart debate argument funny)
• Some thoughts on the possible reintroduction of Capital Punishment in the UK
  (tags: death law uk politics capitalpunishment)
• Virtual pets starve after bungled resolution to Second Life’s “unauthorized food” war.(Winner of awesome headline of the day)
  (tags: Second_Life TheFuture)
• Lego being sent to Jupiter. That'll show em!
  (tags: lego space nasa)
• The Batman Equation
  (tags: batman visualization mathematics)
• $1 chip tests for HIV in 15 minutes flat, fits in your wallet
  (tags: hiv disease testing technology)
• TV Size Matters - upload a photo of your wall and see what different size TVs will look like on it
  (tags: tv technology)

Comments

[supergee]

Dutch Christianity gives you the same odds as Russian roulette.

[kerrypolka.livejournal.com]

I love atheist clergy! I might hope to be one myself someday.

[spacelem.livejournal.com]

I think the world will be intently watching to see how the Norwegians handle that case. I want to agree entirely with the Norwegian system, but that guy really makes it difficult.

I am utterly opposed to the death penalty, and any use of torture, but plenty of people in this country are not, and while I strongly wish they didn't feel that way, I can't help but understand why they do. After a 200+ comment discussion on my FB (my cousin being the only pro-capital punishment commenter), I feel even more resolute. But again, that guy strains our tolerance so much, I can see how many people are willing to change their minds.

On the other hand, I am entirely in agreement that the American prison system is an absolute disgrace. I really hope they are able to learn something from all this.

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

I think the world will be intently watching to see how the Norwegians handle that case.

Do you? I don't think anyone will care, he'll be forgotten as soon as he is sentenced. The Americans certainly aren't going to change their criminal system because of it.

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

Evidence from living in Scotland suggests that no-one will care until he gets diagnosed with a terminal disease and released on compassionate grounds to die at home. Then all the retributionary 'justice' fans will be up in arms every time he appears in public until he dies and then they'll all cheer and say he finally got what he deserved.

Not that I'm bitter about having to defend our justice system over the Lockerbie Bomber every 5 minutes or anything :/

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

He doesn't strain my tolerance at all, he's quite clearly utterly wrong in the head. But then I'm always horrified when people come out in favour of the death penalty.

[anton-p-nym.livejournal.com]

I would support the death penalty only under very, very narrow circumstances. Guilt would have to be established well beyond the "reasonable doubt" bar, the risk to reoffend would have to be high, and the condemned would have to be both beyond rehabilitation and at high risk to escape or to harm others even while encarcerated.

Practically, though, I oppose it because it'd be virtually impossible to meet all those and it's just too easy to condemn the wrong person.

-- Steve does think that retribution makes for a lousy excuse; civilised countries do not kill people to make others feel better.

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

I say, yes, it does offend our sense of justice. It offends mine. But I am very wary of my own instinct for retribution, and of yours. The idea of balancing some cosmic scale, of restoring the moral order to equilibrium, is deeply appealing. But there is no cosmic scale to balance. The moral order is not some sort of pervasive ethereal substance that threatens to undo us if monstrous offence is not met with equally ferocious punishment.

God damn but you find some of the best links.