Want to commit suicide? Here, let me help.

A Chinese man held up traffic in Beijing for 5 hours, threatening to jump off the bridge. A commuter became so angry, he gave the guy a little help -- a shove right off the bridge. The would-be jumper fell 8 yards onto an emergency air cushion and survived.

Contain your shock

Some right-wing media hacks are sexist.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

2nd Lt. Sandy Tsao announced to her superiors that she was gay. She then wrote to Barack Obama and asked him to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. His response:

"Sandy--
Thanks for the wonderful and thoughtful letter. It is because of outstanding Americans like you that I committed to changing our current policy. Although it will take some time to complete (partly because it needs Congressional action) I intend to fulfill my committment! Barack Obama"

Another serviceman whose dismissal is pending because he's gay: Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point grad and Arabic language specialist.

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That's very big of you, Senator Sessions

Jeff Sessions is "not inclined to think it's an automatic disqualification," referring to the appointment of an openly gay justice on the Supreme Court. Senator Sessions was rejected by Congress as a federal judge in 1986.

Religion and Torture, pt 2

We know that, regardless of religion, a large percentage of Americans are OK with torture. (Although view is more widely held by white evangelicals compared to others, the difference isn't that large.) Yet theologians and religious leaders, by and large, unequivocally condemn it. What gives?

Evangelizing to Muslims

Bob Roberts, a Texas pastor, is evangelizing to the Muslim world from a place of mutual respect and is highlighted by Eboo Patel, an American Muslim. You can read more about his mission here. (Try to ignore his made-up word "glocal," a combo of global and local.) His approach is the best kind of evangelicalism. Feed the sick, care for the poor, respect local laws, and through a demonstration of Jesus' love (rather than a force-feeding of dogma), convince people.

"Sometimes you have to call the baby ugly."

The new Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, says that No Child Left Behind hasn't improved student proficiency--states have lowered their definitions of proficient.

Is rape serious?

There is a massive backlog of rape kits in most American cities. Is it because rape is seen as less serious than other crimes? That its victims are less credible? (Kristof)

Turkey & Armenia

Armenian and Turkish officials continue their talks in an effort to settle old disputes and reopen the borders between the countries.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister has taken a leading role in communicating with Armenia. His efforts are not only a bid to join the EU, but also to improve relations with Turkey's neighbors: Bulgaria, Syria, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, and, of course, Armenia. Turkey's pro-US stance has been at the expense of the relations with these countries, and Erdogan seeks to make Turkey's national interests paramount.

Previously, Armenia has demanded that Turkey openly and publicly acknowledge the Armenian massacre as genocide. In Turkey, however, it is actually a crime to label the massacre as genocide. Erdogan has agreed to a joint commission with Armenia to study the issue, an impressive compromise for both sides.

According to Judy Dempsey (New York Times), the US and the EU could lose their influence in the region, while Russia and Turkey regain their historical influence. However, the talks between countries is hardly being met with open arms.


(Interesting side note, the talks between Armenia and Turkey began after the Armenian president visited during a World Cup qualifying match between the Armenian and Turkish soccer teams.)