Shame, Boatloads of Shame

The Wisconsin Statehouse seems like a really unpleasant place to work these days.

Abortion & Government

I don't know who you are, Mr. Weiner, but I'm a fan. And definitely watch to the end.

Distribution of Wealth

Time Lapse Books

I love time lapse stuff, but I can't help thinking about how horribly tedious it must be to create.

EuroDrunks

What's up with South Korea?

Old is New

I love old photos. I admit being a nosey photographer. As soon as I step into someone else’s house, I start sniffing for them. Most of us are fascinated by their retro look but to me, it’s imagining how people would feel and look like if they were to reenact them today... A few months ago, I decided to actually do this. So, with my camera, I started inviting people to go back to their future.

More here. [Edit: That blockquote is from the woman who took these pictures, who is not me.]

Why do we poll Americans?

What I gather from this is that people think defense spending is too high when things are going OK and that it is waaay too low right after bad shit happens (Iran Hostage Crisis, 9/11). Whatever your opinions on defense spending, that just makes no sense. If "the public" thinks it's too low right after bad things happen, then presumably they think that the lack of spending contributed to the bad things in the first place. Americans, as a polling unit, have the attention span of a gnat. I could give a rat's ass what they think is too much or too little. It would be nice if people who actually have the knowledge and experience to say anything worthwhile on the subject would do so and ignore polls. Ugh.

Cups of Paint

Some more mesmerizing art-making. If I were doing that, I would totally step in one of the puddles and ruin everything.

Here's some more of Holton Rower's work, some of which is pretty cool and some of which I just do not get.
Do not get.

Maybe I get? It's funny, right? I think it's funny.

Definitely do not get.

Pretty.

Time Waster

Waste your time playing The Great Gatsby.

"Uncontacted" people

Uncontacted Amazon Tribe: First ever aerial footage from Survival International on Vimeo.

I get the point of such an endeavor -- it's meant to protect and raise awareness. But I can't help feeling like a dirty voyeur when I watch this and that those people being treated like animals in the wild. Scully, I am not sure how I feel about you narrating this.

*Also, "uncontacted" is in quotes, because as a Dish reader points out, that kid is holding a steel machete. They've most likely had contact with somebody.

Haha

See Jesus and Mo for some wildly un-PC comics. I have only read a couple, so if there are some truly offensive ones, then sorry about that. And I guess by truly offensive, I mean "not funny."

Aw, that's just precious

A new Royal Antelope calf born at San Diego Zoo.

Going to CPAC

Watermelon Roses

This is kind of mesmerizing.

What the What?!

Bryan Fischer, a director of something at the American Family Association, is a morally repugnant a-hole. I think my argument requires no more than telling you the title of his opinion piece: Native Americans Morally Disqualified Themselves From the Land.

It's not as bad as it sounds -- it's worse.

Wikiphrenia

(Link)

Mourning in Non-Human Primates

This is a really interesting (and sad) read about mourning behaviors in non-human primates. Included in the blog post (which is really worth a read) is a description and video of a chimpanzee mother whose 16-month old infant died. You see her leave the body in a clearing, but then come back to look at the infant and touch her neck and face repeatedly. It almost seems like she is trying to convince herself that the life has actually gone from the body, checking to see if its reappeared. Who knows what's actually happening in her mind. Whatever the case, it's sad.

Here is the academic paper that describes the process in objective (read: dry and emotionless) terms.

And the iPhone Shall Absolve You

You may not have the Pope's organs. You may, however, confess your sins to your iPhone (until you find an actual priest).

(Thanks, SBHB)

Write It Gay!

Holy Organs

Did you know that the Pope cannot donate his organs, because his body belongs to the church? Well, now you do.

Mug Shots of Yesteryear

Bizarrely fascinating mug shots from the police archives from New South Wales.

Virtual Art Museum

The Google Art Project is worth a few minutes of your time.

Just because

Bill O'Reilly Doesn't Understand Tides; Therefore, God Exists

Colbert Report Full Episodes Video Archive

I don't know how to post a video so it starts in the middle. I'm posting this for the bit on Bill O'Reilly who doesn't understand how tides work or where the moon came from (God!). The first part of the video is about Egypt and Anderson Cooper -- it's funny, but the O'Reilly part starts at 2:30.

And here, my favorite physicist that I don't know gives O'Reilly a quick lesson about the universe.

Idle Hands

I'm so glad people out there have time on their hands to do things like this. (There's really no reason to watch the whole video -- the first minute is good. Well, maybe there is a reason, but I didn't watch the whole thing.)

CIA doesn't know how to tweet

The CIA gets yelled at for not anticipating the Egyptian revolution. Their main problem? They weren't monitoring Twitter and Facebook. They should go hire some whipper snappers to take care of that. I imagine the following conversation between a recent hire and his mother:

Mom: "Oh, that's swell sweetie. Congrats on your new grown-up job. Can you take out the trash?"

CIA Twitter Guy: "Mooooom. I'm like a spy now. You can't ask a spy to take out the trash. I'm super important now."

Mom: "Oh bullshit. You're just getting paid to read those dumb twats or tweets or whatever the hell they are because no one else wants such a tedious and lame job. Now take out the trash."

CIA Twitter Guy: [Grumble, grumble] "Fine."

Oh, sweet progress!

NOM Loves Rainbows

Hahahaha. How the NOM* website ended up with a big, gay rainbow.

*National Organization for Marriage, founded by that unfortunate soul, Maggie Gallagher.

Today in the News of No Shit

Watching steamy sex scenes with your parents is not fun, so say researchers.

Oh, The Onion

Republicans Vote To Repeal Obama-Backed Bill That Would Destroy Asteroid Headed For Earth

Insanity

Feeling happy and sane? I have just the antidote! Glenn Beck!

Jurassic Guitars

Who knew kids with guitars could sound like that?


Thanks for the tip, SBHB.

Cuteness

Reading Between the Lines

We are not so good at it -- at least the ability doesn't seem to improve with time or intimacy. There is a new study where people read lines that could have multiple interpretations ("What have you been up to?" could mean "Why are you late?" or "I'd like to know how you are," or a lot of other things.) The participants read the lines to their long-time spouses or to a couple they didn't know. The spouse and the strangers guessed what the meaning was behind the line. The strangers and the spouse guessed correctly at the same rate.

Now, there are lots of issues with a single study -- the scenarios were contrived blah blah blah -- but another piece of the puzzle is that the spouses thought they were more accurate than the strangers. They definitely weren't.

So, say what you mean, folks!

Breaking the Code

Some dork* has figured out how to break scratch-off lottery tickets, being able to correctly differentiate losers from winners about 90% of the time. He decided he could make more from being a consultant than making money from the tickets, so he went to the ticket makers. The linked article is pretty long, but a quick skim is quite interesting.

*I mean this fondly, of course.

Barbara Bush the Younger & Marriage Equality

She strikes me as unappealing, but I'm glad to see that she supports marriage equality.