Your end of work-day news round-up. Because I didn’t write this this a.m. Because I was busy, all right? Sheesh.
1 FEDS HIKE SEAL QUOTAS Here’s a shock: I don’t like the seal hunt. I dislike it just like I dislike deer hunting, fur hunting, bear hunting, moose hunting, domestic cow, pig and sheep hunting and pretty much any kind of animal killing (except for fish–they must die because they are too delicious to live.) Just because I don’t like it, however, does not make it wrong. In my book there are only a couple reasons you put the brakes on animal hunting: 1.) when an endangered or threatened species is involved 2.) when it’s just too disgusting, like say hunting dogs, house cats, dolphins, apes or tame lions, and 3.) if the way the animals are killed is cruel (like, above and beyond the fact that the animals ARE KILLED). If seals aren’t endangered, and my understanding is that they’re not, and if the majority of humans don’t find the hunt grievously objectionable on emotional grounds, which might be a close call, and if killing them isn’t especially cruel, and I suppose there’s some debate around this, then, well, it’s maybe… not… wrong.
But even if they’re right, the Conservatives are still being belligerent.
2 SPEAKING OF STEPHEN HARPER’S CONSERVATIVES What a bunch of hooligans. Here’s what they’re wrong about today. They talk a lot about being “tough on crime”, but the government’s own studies show that approach doesn’t work (Toronto Star). They’ve sneakily slashing funding to organizations like libraries that provide public Internet (Toronto Star). They’re being wieners on a daily basis in question period (Globe And Mail), and they continue to be jackasses on the Afghan detainee file (CBC). The North West Territories have warmer and wackier weather but the party is infested with idiots, ignoramuses and petroleum pushers who don’t get it, don’t care and are actively hostile to facts and research–in fact, THEY’RE MAKING SCIENTISTS ASK FOR PERMISSION BEFORE THEY TALK TO REPORTERS (Toronto Star, Leader-Post). This government is terrible. That is a FACT. Vote. Them. Out!
3 FORK IT OVER, COLIN THATCHER A judge orders convicted murderer Colin Thatcher to turn over profits from his nasty little book on how he was framed for a murder he didn’t commit (CBC). Also, this seems like a good time to link to a reasonable article about how this law is stupid (Ottawa Sun).
4 MAKING FRIENDS AND INFLUENCING PEOPLE This building settlements in East Jerusalem no matter what anyone thinks deal of Israel’s? Diplomats are saying it’s the worst rift in U.S./Israeli diplomatic relations in 35 years. But Israel is apparently not backing down (New York Times).
5 RIOTS IN THAILAND AND CRAZY IN NEW YORK Bangkok protesters who want a different leader are marching around in a disruptive display of near-amokness (Washington Post). Meanwhile in a seemingly–SEEMINGLY–unrelated development, some at Fox news worry that their crazyman pundit is hurting the news network’s credibility. Are these two events unrelated? It looks like they are, but if we pull out some felt markers and a whiteboard and draw some flow charts, we can start to see this is all about liberty and socialism and about churches that talk about social justice being run by Nazis and, has anyone pointed out lately that Glenn Beck is a fucking lunatic?
6 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOT COM! Twenty-five years ago, the first URL ending in .com arrived on the Internet. Now, there’s like hundreds! Maybe even THOUSANDS! (BBC)