The Obama Administration is considering appointing a Harvard Law Professor to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Racket Bureau.  One gets the impression that the current White House is unaware of anyone who is not a Harvard professor, but even on the Harvard faculty there must be someone who with impressive-sounding credentials in credit, banking, or economics.  On the other hand, don’t leap to the conclusion that simply because Elizabeth Warren is a professor of law at Harvard that she is out of touch with the American people.

She’s studied them.

Really.

Our own Observer-Effect has the story.

Chicago protects itself from armed citizens.

Events continue to spin out of control, which leads us to wonder just who the hell was supposed to be in control in the first place.

A remarkable turn of events in the Times Square Bomber case.

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The news that Hollywood director James Cameron is helping solve the problem of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is indeed heartening.  Less well reported, however, is that he is not the only member of the Hollywood elite willing to lend his considerable expertise.

While we’re sure that any day now we’ll see photos of the likes of Sean Penn wielding a plastic bucket as he bobs in a canoe, let’s face it:  about the only thing he can accomplish is to look ridiculous.  We must admire Mr. Penn’s matchless abilities in this endeavor — looking ridiculous, that is — but something more substantial is needed.

And now we find the real power in Hollywood is bringing its creative might to bear.  Salvation, if not actually at hand, is at least in negotiations … and may be offered a percentage of the rolling adjusted gross.

Continue Reading »

Here at Darwin Central, our interests are many and varied.  One of them is science in general, and a recent article attracted some attention here.  It seems that certain scientists are questioning whether the G-spot actually exists.  Our thread on the subject proved so popular, that the wonderful folks at Mythbusters took up the cause, and produced a special Darwin Centric segment.  We haven’t been able to link to the video (which is excellent, really), but we do have this story board:

Continue Reading »

January: In an effort to decide whether the House or Senate version of the health care bill will prevail, Harry Reid and Nancy Peolosi stage a nationally televised Hot Oil Wrestling Match, resulting in the first ever television show with a less than zero share. New York Times runs seven editorials excoriating Americans for lack of interest in national policy.

February: Steve Jobs announces that Apple will be entering the personal sex toy market with the iBod. In accordance with longstanding Apple design policy, the iBod will have no belly button. Andrew Breitbart posts a James O’Keefe video that appears to show ACORN employees instructing underage transsexual Croatian Separatist crack whores how to smuggle air-to-air missiles in their panty-hose as part of the glorious effort to destabilize the illegitimate usurpers in Bosnia-Hercegovina . Department of Homeland Security announces a Code Red Alert and bans all air travel except for those on the terrorist watch list. Flight Attendants Union goes on strike.

March: President Obama orders National Guard to perform flight attendant duty so that our foes will know we are better than they are. March comes in like a lamb, alarming global warming alarmists globally. An emergency UN meeting in Geneva results in a strongly worded statement threatening another meeting in six months if nothing is done. James O’Keefe, and Andrew Brietbart vanish. National Guard votes to join SEIU and goes on strike. Senator John F. Kerry opens direct negotiations with North Korea, noting American atrocities during the Korean War.

April: North Korean General Secretary Kim Jong-il is reported to be resting comfortably after a suicide attempt. The tax season prompts the President to demand three hours in prime time in an effort to generate more tax revenue. The number of television sets suddenly turning up in the nation’s garbage dumps is unprecedented, although network analysts agree that the President’s statement “It’s legal to send in more money than you owe” is, in fact, correct. President Obama issues an Executive Order increasing the top income tax rate to 75% on the richest ten percent, 65% on the richest fifty percent, and 55% on the richest ninety percent, prompting Representative Peter King to threaten to introduce articles of impeachment in the House. King is dissuaded by a gun-wielding Representative Alan Grayson who tells a Washington Post reporter, “The Republican plan is don’t pay any taxes.” The Post insists that four different cellphone videos posted on youtube of their reporter yelling, “Shoot him! Shoot the son-of-a-bitch!” were faked.

May: Dow Jones Industrial Average explodes. Literally. The May 1 Wall Street Journal print edition is a bag of confetti. In an effort to increase government revenue, President Obama takes five hours of prime time to plead with Nina Burleigh to appear on Pay Per View and make good on her offer to fellate ex-President Clinton. The Rasmussen tracking poll reveals that for the first time in history, sixty-five percent of American men have lost all interest in oral sex. A. C. Neilson reports an elevated number of death threats against its employees. James O’Keefe, and Andrew Brietbart go on trial in Iran and are immediately executed for homosexualty.

June: Warmer weather due to global warming threatens the nation, especially the elderly, women, and children. President Obama demands eight hours of prime time in an effort to pass the cap & trade legislation that was stalled between the House and Senate when the Congressional page conveying the bill never emerged from Congressman Frank’s residence. Network executives who protest that there aren’t eight hours of prime time are quietly replaced. ABC’s George Stephanopolos keeps a straight face when Congressman Frank asserts that he hasn’t been in his own residence in years. ACORN is absolved of all wrong-doing by a Congressional Committee, and begins reapportionment based on projected 2010 census results, even though census won’t be completed until December.

July: Intel Corporation announces a breakthrough in chip design, its first fifty terahertz processor. Congress mandates a BCS bowl system requiring each Division I team to play every other Division I team twice during the regular season, and each team finishing above .500 to take part in the national championship playoff. Every season will now take several years to play. No one notices a problem.

August: Seagate announces a breakthrough in hard disc technology, with the first 1PB drive. PETA sues Seagate for trademark infringement. US Congressional districts are reapportioned according to ACORN findings. In what is believed to be a first, Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez nationalizes AmTrak, which has no known assets in Venezuela. In a surprisingly forceful act of retaliatory defiance, Congress renames the Hugo Awards. Jimmy Carter denounces American bullying, blaming “the Jewish lobby.”

September: Rail passengers agree that AmTrak service is suddenly much improved. Microsoft announces the latest version of Windows, “Vasta.” Minimum requirements are a sixty TF processor, and 50TB of RAM. Vasta will require about 99.9 TB of space on the hard disc. Microsoft boasts that their new, “Nontuitive” design will be much clumsier and less comprehensible than pervious versions. All functions, folders, and peripherals will be given new names so that, “novices will be at no disadvantage to people who have owned a computer before.”

October: Steve Jobs dies laughing. Emergency UN Global Warming Meeting convenes in Tahiti and issues a statement deploring lack of progress in shaking down the US enough to satisfy Robert Mugabe. Their sternly-worded statement unequivocally warns that if nothing happens soon, it will be November. Senator John F. Kerry opens direct talks with Russia, noting American atrocities during the Russo-Swedish War.

November: Confounding UN Climate Experts, the Northern Hemisphere is unexpectedly cooler than the average of the previous four months. US elections result in 435 House seats and 36 Senate seats won by Democrats. President Obama gets twelve hours of television time for his election eve address to the nation. For the first time, more Mexicans attempt to sneak into Cuba than the United States. Russia threatens war with the United States if Senator Kerry isn’t bludgeoned into silence.

December: President-For-Life Obama delivers 26-hour Prime Time Address on the remaining television channel, radio station, and pod cast. Russia declares war on America. America attempts to surrender to Monaco. UN, citing lack of Global Warming progress, cancels 2011, thereby averting an embarrassing catastrophe of unfulfilled warnings.

Original: http://forum.darwincentral.org/viewtopic.php?p=588150#p588150

January: In an effort to decide whether the House or Senate version of the health care bill will prevail, Harry Reid and Nancy Peolosi stage a nationally televised Hot Oil Wrestling Match, resulting in the first ever television show with a less than zero share. New York Times runs seven editorials excoriating Americans for lack of interest in national policy.

February: Steve Jobs announces that Apple will be entering the personal sex toy market with the iBod. In accordance with longstanding Apple design policy, the iBod will have no belly button. Andrew Breitbart posts a James O’Keefe video that appears to show ACORN employees instructing underage transsexual Croatian Separatist crack whores how to smuggle air-to-air missiles in their panty-hose as part of the glorious effort to destabilize the illegitimate usurpers in Bosnia-Hercegovina . Department of Homeland Security announces a Code Red Alert and bans all air travel except for those on the terrorist watch list. Flight Attendants Union goes on strike.

March: President Obama orders National Guard to perform flight attendant duty so that our foes will know we are better than they are. March comes in like a lamb, alarming global warming alarmists globally. An emergency UN meeting in Geneva results in a strongly worded statement threatening another meeting in six months if nothing is done. James O’Keefe, and Andrew Brietbart vanish. National Guard votes to join SEIU and goes on strike. Senator John F. Kerry opens direct negotiations with North Korea, noting American atrocities during the Korean War.

April: North Korean General Secretary Kim Jong-il is reported to be resting comfortably after a suicide attempt. The tax season prompts the President to demand three hours in prime time in an effort to generate more tax revenue. The number of television sets suddenly turning up in the nation’s garbage dumps is unprecedented, although network analysts agree that the President’s statement “It’s legal to send in more money than you owe†is, in fact, correct. President Obama issues an Executive Order increasing the top income tax rate to 75% on the richest ten percent, 65% on the richest fifty percent, and 55% on the richest ninety percent, prompting Representative Peter King to threaten to introduce articles of impeachment in the House. King is dissuaded by a gun-wielding Representative Alan Grayson who tells a Washington Post reporter, “The Republican plan is don’t pay any taxes.†The Post insists that four different cellphone videos posted on youtube of their reporter yelling, “Shoot him! Shoot the son-of-a-bitch!†were faked.

May: Dow Jones Industrial Average explodes. Literally. The May 1 Wall Street Journal print edition is a bag of confetti. In an effort to increase government revenue, President Obama takes five hours of prime time to plead with Nina Burleigh to appear on Pay Per View and make good on her offer to fellate ex-President Clinton. The Rasmussen tracking poll reveals that for the first time in history, sixty-five percent of American men have lost all interest in oral sex. A. C. Neilson reports an elevated number of death threats against its employees. James O’Keefe, and Andrew Brietbart go on trial in Iran and are immediately executed for homosexualty.

June: Warmer weather due to global warming threatens the nation, especially the elderly, women, and children. President Obama demands eight hours of prime time in an effort to pass the cap & trade legislation that was stalled between the House and Senate when the Congressional page conveying the bill never emerged from Congressman Frank’s residence. Network executives who protest that there aren’t eight hours of prime time are quietly replaced. ABC’s George Stephanopolos keeps a straight face when Congressman Frank asserts that he hasn’t been in his own residence in years. ACORN is absolved of all wrong-doing by a Congressional Committee, and begins reapportionment based on projected 2010 census results, even though census won’t be completed until December.

July: Intel Corporation announces a breakthrough in chip design, its first fifty terahertz processor. Congress mandates a BCS bowl system requiring each Division I team to play every other Division I team twice during the regular season, and each team finishing above .500 to take part in the national championship playoff. Every season will now take several years to play. No one notices a problem.

August: Seagate announces a breakthrough in hard disc technology, with the first 1PB drive. PETA sues Seagate for trademark infringement. US Congressional districts are reapportioned according to ACORN findings. In what is believed to be a first, Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez nationalizes AmTrak, which has no known assets in Venezuela. In a surprisingly forceful act of retaliatory defiance, Congress renames the Hugo Awards. Jimmy Carter denounces American bullying, blaming “the Jewish lobby.â€

September: Rail passengers agree that AmTrak service is suddenly much improved. Microsoft announces the latest version of Windows, “Vasta.†Minimum requirements are a sixty TF processor, and 50TB of RAM. Vasta will require about 99.9 TB of space on the hard disc. Microsoft boasts that their new, “Nontuitive†design will be much clumsier and less comprehensible than pervious versions. All functions, folders, and peripherals will be given new names so that, “novices will be at no disadvantage to people who have owned a computer before.â€

October: Steve Jobs dies laughing. Emergency UN Global Warming Meeting convenes in Tahiti and issues a statement deploring lack of progress in shaking down the US enough to satisfy Robert Mugabe. Their sternly-worded statement unequivocally warns that if nothing happens soon, it will be November. Senator John F. Kerry opens direct talks with Russia, noting American atrocities during the Russo-Swedish War.

November: Confounding UN Climate Experts, the Northern Hemisphere is unexpectedly cooler than the average of the previous four months. US elections result in 435 House seats and 36 Senate seats won by Democrats. President Obama gets twelve hours of television time for his election eve address to the nation. For the first time, more Mexicans attempt to sneak into Cuba than the United States. Russia threatens war with the United States if Senator Kerry isn’t bludgeoned into silence.

December: President-For-Life Obama delivers 26-hour Prime Time Address on the remaining television channel, radio station, and pod cast. Russia declares war on America. America attempts to surrender to Monaco. UN, citing lack of Global Warming progress, cancels 2011, thereby averting an embarrassing catastrophe of unfulfilled warnings.

To fix agreement in number error.

Original: viewtopic.php?p=588150#p588150

Statistics: Posted by Gumlegs — Tue Dec 29, 2009 12:13 am

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
[Pretty color mine].

It’s hard to believe that a nation with the above material in its founding document is now supporting Muslim nations in their attempt to have the UN Human Rights Council recognize a blasphemy exception to freedom of speech. (We hereby duly note the contradiction in terms in ” UN Human Rights Council,” a body indiscriminately containing members from such paragons of liberty and human dignity as Cuba, Burkina Faso, China, and Saudia Arabia).

Nonetheless, if a column in the rabidly right-wing USA Today is to be believed, that is exactly what is happening.

“While attracting surprisingly little attention, the Obama administration supported the effort of largely Muslim nations in the U.N. Human Rights Council to recognize exceptions to free speech for any “negative racial and religious stereotyping.” The exception was made as part of a resolution supporting free speech that passed this month, but it is the exception, not the rule that worries civil libertarians. Though the resolution was passed unanimously, European and developing countries made it clear that they remain at odds on the issue of protecting religions from criticism. It is viewed as a transparent bid to appeal to the “Muslim street” and our Arab allies, with the administration seeking greater coexistence through the curtailment of objectionable speech. Though it has no direct enforcement (and is weaker than earlier versions), it is still viewed as a victory for those who sought to juxtapose and balance the rights of speech and religion.”

This is to say, that the Obama Administration has either let its UN delegation go completely insane, or it supports an attempt to prevent people from characterizing radical Muslims as people who decapitate their enemies while those same radical Muslims threaten to decapitate anyone who so characterizes them.

Things could get tricky quickly. We know this is a wild speculation — things like this just don’t happen in the twenty-first century, but imagine an incident where Member In Good Standing of the United Nations Human Rights Council Saudi Arabia finds its religious police forcing schoolgirls back into a burning building because the girls in question failed to don their religiously required headscarves before fleeing the flames. This profoundly moving religious observance once resulted in the deaths of fifteen young Saudi females. One can recognize that we mere mortals cannot question the words of The Prophet (peace be upon him), but other questions arise. Would the simple act of reporting this outrage be enough to trigger a blasphemy complaint, or would the offense be in noting the derangement of mutaween who would rather girls be burnt to death than appear in public without their headscarves?

We ask this question with some trepidation — it could turn out to be blasphemous, and we don’t know whether the UN Human Rights Council’s ukases are retroactive. While we recognize the previously noted “weakness” of the resolution, like an infant, it will soon begin to cut teeth. The Obama Administration will no doubt be providing state of the art dentistry, perhaps as part of its Health Care initiative.

The Obama Administration should be clear about this. It might also consider providing a little more clarity in whether it considers criticism of itself to be blasphemy. Even if no one else will be affected, we, a couple of other websites, and Fox News are interested.